At Last, I Have Found You
by JennyJeannette
Summary: After having enough of living under the care of Asato Ichijou, Kaname decides to escape to a human orphanage. He would have never imagined that he'd find love, and with a boy no less. AU. Yaoi. Zero x Kaname.
1. The Escape

_**At Last, I Have Found You**_

_**By JennyJeannette**_

_This is my first ever AU fic for Vampire Knight, and hopefully it actually ends nicely unlike my many other unfinished stories. *shakes head in pity* This is also my first yaoi fanfic, so please brace yourselves for sappiness and really corny romance moments. Also, if you are not a fan of boy x boy relationships, I recommend that you do not read this fic. There's also some cases of abuse, so please don't read if you don't like that. In this universe, Yuuki was never born a vampire, and she's always been the daughter of Cross Kaien. Also, this takes place before Cross Academy is created._

_Credit goes to IncaGold27, whose story "Devil's Pawn" inspired me to write this one._

_I hope you all enjoy and please review! ^-^_

_I don't own Vampire Knight or any of its characters—this fic was made mostly for fun. :)_

**Chapter One: The Escape **

_Young Kaname gasped as he watched his father's disintegrated body collapse onto the snow-covered ground. Shortly after, the wind carried the piles of dust toward the forest, leaving Kaname completely alone with his attacker. Kaname glared at the older vampire, clenching his fists and forcing the air pressure around them to build, determined on making the bastard explode._

_Rido smiled menacingly, his mismatched eyes glowing with lust. He took a step towards the boy, licking his mother's blood off the back of his hand. Kaname's stomach churned, his eyes smarting as he recalled how brutal his mother's death was. He quickly regained control, making his right palm face Rido, forcing his power on him. In the time it took Kaname to summon his power, Rido was behind the young pureblood, his arms around his small waist, and his lips at his neck._

"_I came here for one, and get two in return," Rido whispered. He slowly licked a trail from Kaname's ear down to where his neck met his shoulder, and sank his fangs into the skin. Kaname screamed, wriggling in his arms, but Rido refused to let go. It wasn't long before the youth fainted in his uncle's embrace, overcome by all the grief and pain he'd suffered in just one evening._

_When Kaname finally gained consciousness, a new pair of eyes was staring at him. The owner of these eyes had his lips set in a smirk, and somehow he knew that this man wasn't any better than the one who had taken his blood the night before._

Kaname's eyes shot open, his breaths coming out in pants and his body covered in cold sweat. He almost didn't realize where or what time he was in, but when a stinging slap hit his bare back, it all sank in. He winced as he acknowledged the man standing behind him; whip in hand, lips spread in a horrifying smile.

"Awake now, Kaname?" Ichiou asked before giving his back one last slap, causing the pureblood to surge forward in pain. _Yes, I'm awake! _He wanted to scream, but he knew his aching body wouldn't allow it. He felt the weight of a garment over him, and he realized that Ichio had flung his discarded shirt at him.

"Now you know," the noble started to say as Kaname buttoned his shirt back together, "not to speak during a Council dinner without my permission. If it happens again, I assure you, Kaname, that session will be far worse than this one." He reached forward and cupped the younger vampire's cheek, rubbing his thumb over Kaname's cheek bone. Kaname snapped his head away, his shirt on now, and headed out the door without another word.

Three years. Three years he'd been living here, and he'd done nothing to stop the unfortunate encounters with Ichiou.

Kaname shivered involuntarily. And he'd let them happen. He was in a stage of weakness and vulnerability, so he couldn't do anything to stop them. Kaname's frame shook as he walked down the hallway and to his room, where he sensed the presence of another blonde vampire from behind the door. He sighed, knowing that Takuma was bound to ask questions after being gone for three hours. He opened the door slowly, his patience thin.

"Kaname!" Takuma stood up from the foot of said person's bed, his green eyes wide with worry. Kaname ignored his greeting and walked straight into the bathroom, leaving the door open. He went to the sink and turned the water on, washing his face. When he saw Takuma's reflection in the mirror, he said without turning around, "What is it, Ichijou?"

Takuma frowned, his eyes sad. "He did it again, did he?" he whispered.

Kaname didn't answer, his eyes fixed on the water streaming down the faucet. When he felt the tears start to form, he splashed his face with more water, hoping the other vampire wouldn't notice.

Takuma did. He walked the short distance between him and the pureblood, and stood beside him, his eyes searching the other's face. Kaname's eyes were rimmed with red, but the tears had stopped flowing. As he began to read Kaname's expression, he knew the pureblood was deciding on something. He put his hand on his shoulder, saying, "Kaname?"

Kaname flinched at the sudden touch, but he didn't force Takuma's hand away. Instead, he turned his head toward the boy, looking into his deep green eyes. "I'm going to do it."

Takuma was confused for a moment, but then his eyes widened in acknowledgement. His voice came out in a shaky whisper. "Really?"

Kaname nodded, and then eased out of his friend's grip. He walked back to his bedroom, searching for his duffel bag. Takuma watched uneasily from the doorway as Kaname hastily filled the bag, fully intending to carry out his plan. When he saw the pureblood retrieve an airplane ticket from one of the drawers, Takuma finally spoke. "I'll help you."

Kaname looked up in surprise. He didn't expect the noble to want to take part in his escape, but he was relieved that he didn't have to do this completely alone. He zipped up his bag, shoved the ticket in his pocket, and listened for any unwanted eavesdroppers from the outside. When there weren't any, he nodded at Takuma to continue.

Takuma looked out the window, then back at Kaname. Finally, he said, "Grandfather's going out for a Council meeting in a few moments. The servants will be out, but if we move fast enough we can get to the gates without being seen. Do you want me to call the cab company?" he asked, realizing sadly that the purebood was really intending to do this.

Kaname shook his head. "I can walk to the town from there. I don't want anyone to overhear the phone call." Takuma nodded in understanding. The two vampires listened for any sign of Ichiou leaving the mansion, and when they heard the loud clang of the gates closing, they knew it was time. Slowly, Takuma eased the door open, searching the hallway for any signs of the servants or the guards. It was transition time for the guards, so the two teens had only a few minutes to get out of the house before the new guards came. The two ran from Kaname's room and to the main foyer, and from there they exited the house and ran to the metal gates. Takuma explained that Ichiou had always taken the countryside road to his Council meetings, and the road that Kaname would be using was the road leading the opposite direction, to the town. Kaname's hopes went up slightly, but he was not going to let his guard down until he was well out of the country.

Kaname took a step beyond the gate, feeling as if he was taking a step into a new life entirely. He turned around to see Takuma standing nervously, his arms folded across his chest. Kaname smiled, then said, "Thank you, Takuma. This means so much to me. You can tell Ichiou that I was gone before you even woke up."

Takuma nodded and smiled back. The noble had to admit that he was a little disappointed that his best friend was leaving, but he only agreed because he wanted Kaname to be happy. He hoped that wherever the pureblood was going, he would be safe and satisfied.

Kaname watched Takuma, guilt rising inside him. He owed this boy so much. The boy who had become his friend the minute he stepped into the house, the boy who had always come along on his illegal trips to the town, the boy who had comforted him when he thought he was completely alone. _Someday, _he thought. _Someday when I've gained power over the Council, I'll get you out of here. I promise. _Kaname awkwardly stepped forward and wrapped the arm that wasn't holding the duffel bag around Takuma's shoulders, patting his back as he did. Takuma blushed and did the same with his arms, telling himself that this was just a guy hug. _Just a guy hug, _he repeated silently as Kaname let go a few seconds later, smiling. The pureblood patted his shoulder one last time, and then he was gone, already running with vampire speed to the city a few miles away.

…

When Kaname collapsed in the seat next to the window did he finally let out a sigh of relief. He couldn't believe it. He was actually out of Ichiou's hands. He rejoiced at that thought, but there was only one thing worrying him: if Takuma would get punished for what Kaname did. He hoped that the blonde would go along with what he said earlier, but he doubted that Ichiou would believe him. _Please don't hurt him, _he chanted in his head. He couldn't bear to have something happen to his best friend, he just couldn't.

Trying to avoid these thoughts, Kaname looked around the airplane. Earlier, he'd made sure that there were no vampires following him, because if there were, they'd probably be followers of Ichiou trying to get him back. After he checked again, he pulled a brochure out from his pocket. It was a brochure to St. Joseph's, an orphanage which resided in Breckinridge, Colorado. Kaname knew that since he was free, he could go anywhere he wanted, but Ichiou could easily find him if he didn't stay in one place. He opted out for St. Joseph's because the reviews online had called it "an exceptional place", and also because there was no way that Ichiou could trace him there. Kaname wasn't really hoping to get adopted; he just needed a place to stay until he became old enough and strong enough to take care of himself.

When the pilot finally announced their take-off, Kaname closed his eyes and earned his much-deserved sleep.

…

Kaname had been in the air for two days now, and when he finally landed in Denver, Colorado, for the first time in his life, he was unsure of what to do. He knew that St. Joseph's was all the way up in Breckinridge, but he had no idea how to get there. When he first arrived, he wandered around DIA—Denver International Airport—at least a hundred times, trying to get an idea of where to go. Finally, he decided that it wouldn't hurt to ask someone for help. Surely, Ichiou couldn't have followers here, right? Kaname had doused his pureblood aura in the airplane just to make sure, but any vampire could tell he was Kaname Kuran even if they only caught a glimpse of him. Kaname walked to one of the help desks by the baggage claim, disconcerted that nobody was at the desk. A few moments later, an auburn-haired woman with hazel eyes came up to him and sat down in the rolling chair, her face brightening a little when she took in the beautiful figure before her. "Can I help you?"

Kaname smiled at her, then asked, "Are there any tour buses here?" He was surprised at how fluent his English sounded, since his parents had him learn it a long time ago.

The woman smiled back and gestured to the glass doors that led to the parking lot. "They're all waiting out there. Any specific location?" Her eyes looked hopeful as Kaname understood what she implied in her question.

"Breckinridge," he answered quickly, feeling a tiny bit uncomfortable. The woman shrugged as if to say, "Well I tried," and dialed a number on the telephone sitting next to the computer. She exchanged a few words with the person on the other end, and when she hung up, she said, "That would be Bus No. 7. Would you like me to take you there?" This time, the woman's question was a professional one, so Kaname nodded and followed her outside. He had to admit that he was a little nervous, for he had never traveled outside of Japan before. Before his parents were murdered, Juri had always talked to him about wanting to go to New York, but they had never gotten to it. Kaname shook his head sadly as he recalled that memory, knowing that it would never happen now.

The woman gestured to a tall, blue and white bus which was parked on the curb, the driver probably waiting for a few more people to get on. "I hope you enjoy your stay here in Colorado." She flashed glossy white teeth at him, and Kaname nodded and gave a small grin. He climbed up the few steps and handed the driver the correct amount of money, then found a seat somewhere in the middle of the bus. He pressed his cheek against the window, feeling the chill of November seep into his skin. From what he saw online, he'd always believed that Colorado was beautiful in its own cold, calming way, but now as he experienced it for himself, it was even more amazing. He closed his eyes and fell asleep soon after the bus began to move.

…

Kaname woke up to the feeling of his ears popping. He opened his eyes and stared in awe when a snow-covered mountain came into view. He admired its beauty and majesty and wished that Takuma was with him now, so he didn't have to gape at its beauty alone. He decided not to go back to sleep, and when he stared at the window some more, he could see that gas stations and restaurants were starting to pop in every few miles or so. Kaname then concluded that they were getting very close to Breckinridge, and his stomach tingled in excitement. He looked around him and saw that almost everyone was asleep, with the exception of the driver and a girl on her laptop sitting at the front of the bus. His gaze shifted back to the window, and for the next thirty minutes, he wondered at the beautiful landscape until the bus reached its first traffic light in a long time. A few blocks later, the bus pulled into a roundabout before stopping, the driver's voice over the intercom waking up all the sleeping passengers.

Kaname slung the duffel bag over his shoulder as he followed the line of passengers out of the bus. When he stepped out into the cool air, he felt all the stress seep out of him as he exhaled. He walked away from the roundabout and found himself on a crowded sidewalk, people in coats and boots trying to get to their respective locations. Parked cars covered almost the whole street, and on both sides of the road, were stores lined up side by side, most of them souvenir shops. When Kaname shivered, he finally realized that he didn't have a coat or proper shoes for cold weather on, so he found the nearest clothing store and went aside.

Warm air pushed against his face as Kaname pushed the door open, hearing jingling bells from above him. The girl at the counter smiled warmly, her eyes tired and her face looking bored. He went through the aisles and swiftly picked out a coat and a pair of boots his size before setting them on the counter beside the cash register. He was glad he wasn't the only one underdressed—the cashier girl had a blue tank top on; the kind people in California usually wear. Her brown hair was tied into a ponytail, and she barely offered him more than a look of acknowledgement as she scanned his items and printed out a receipt. "Have a nice day," she said before going to clean up some fallen clothes in one of the aisles.

"You too," Kaname said, a little too late. He shrugged into his coat but kept his shoes in his shopping bag, holding it on the same arm where his duffle bag hung. He went outside again, brochure in hand, following the directions to the orphanage. He got there in only a matter of minutes—it was surprisingly close to the town. As he stared up at the nice, clean building, he wondered how he was going to get himself in. Usually, adults would send the children in after having found them somewhere, right? Kaname didn't know.

After contemplating for five minutes, Kaname finally walked up the few steps leading to the polished white door, and nudged it open. He found himself in a lobby with a small sitting area, brown walls, and many pictures hanging on them. After seeing nobody at the front desk, Kaname went towards one of the walls, examining each picture. Most likely, the children in them were members of the orphanage, and as he perused them one by one, he noticed that the faces in each picture were the same, except that their owners had been growing taller and older from one picture to the next. At the very last picture, most of the kids in it were now teenagers, and Kaname assumed that they would be the people he would have to live with. Before leaving, he noticed one teen in particular. The boy had unusual silver hair, violet eyes, and a face so pale that Kaname had almost believed he was a vampire. Kaname looked intently at the boy, mesmerized by his eyes, when a voice called out to him from behind.

"Sir? Are you here to adopt?"

Kaname turned around, eyes shifting to the blonde woman sitting behind the desk. She must have gotten to the lobby a few seconds ago, or else Kaname would have noticed her. He walked toward the desk and said, "Actually, I was wondering if I could sign in."

The woman arched an eyebrow. "Sign in? As in live here?"

Kaname nodded, feeling stupid. He had no idea how to do this, and yet when he planned for this months ago he thought he was quite ready. He looked down, running through his options, wondering if he should tell this woman the whole story, or just part of it. Before he could speak, though, she asked, "How old are you?"

Kaname looked up. "Sixteen."

The woman smiled, probably feeling pity for the boy before her. "What's your name?"

Kaname thought about whether he should create a fake name, or just give out his real name. He decided that since he never told Takuma about where he was going, Ichiou would never know, so he answered, "Kaname Kuran."

The woman's eyes widened. "Kaname Kuran?"

Kaname froze, wondering if this woman somehow had any connection to Ichiou, and he kicked himself inside for being so stupid. Instead though, the woman looked around the room, probably for eavesdroppers, before leaning towards Kaname and asking, "Are you a vampire?"

Kaname felt himself turn pale, but he relaxed a little when the woman chuckled to herself. "So you are. Don't worry, I'm not a hunter." She smiled before saying, "I'm not a vampire either." She could tell from Kaname's face that he was confused, so she said, "How do I know? Well, when I was twelve years old, a long, long time ago," she made a "Whatever" gesture with her hand before going on. "My sister Kathy and I came across this beautiful man when we were playing in the park. He noticed us staring at him, and as he began walking toward us, I told her that it'd be better if went home. But before we could even take a step, the man was right in front of us, his eyes blazing red," her voice emphasized on the 'blazing', "and fangs coming out from his gums. We were so scared we couldn't move, and before he could take a bite out of us, a bullet came from out of nowhere and shot him in the chest." She shivered as she remembered the incident more clearly. "The guy turned into dust, and behind him was a man holding a gun. Without even thanking him, Kathy and I just started running, screaming until we got into the house and locked the door." She smiled at Kaname once more. "I already called the man with the gun a vampire hunter, because he'd killed a vampire. That was the only time I'd seen one, until now."

Kaname was surprised at how much information the woman had given him, and he barely even knew her! All he could do was nod, and the woman laughed at his reaction. She stood up from her chair and faced Kaname, her blond head a solid foot shorter than him. She held her hand out for him to shake. "I'm Nancy, headmistress of St. Joseph's."

"You teach here, too?" Kaname couldn't help asking.

Nancy nodded. "We only teach to those who want to learn here. Most of the kids go to school at the high school a few streets over, but I think it's better and safer over here." Nancy let go of Kaname's hand and sat down, shuffling through piles of paper. "I don't mean to push, Kaname, but can you tell me how you became an orphan?"

Kaname looked down again, his brown bangs covering his eyes. He didn't have to worry about his answer being too outrageous, for Nancy already knew of the existence of vampires. He was glad that she didn't know anything about purebloods or the Council, so it would be easy for him to tell her. "My uncle killed my parents," he said. At her questioning look he added, "He was after my mother's blood."

Nancy was only okay with this because she knew the boy was a vampire, but if it were any other human, she'd probably be nervous already. Kaname watched as she wrote a couple of things on the form, humming as she did. When she stood up, she gestured for Kaname to follow her through a hallway which led to a large, white room. At the far back of the room was a giant glass window that had a nice view of a mountain. The window covered much of the wall, and the white light from the cloudy sky and the snowy mountain shone over the many scattered leather sofas and coffee tables. The room was empty of people except for the two of them.

"This is the library," Nancy declared, gesturing at the bookshelves and sofas. "You can come here when you're not in school and before bedtime." Nancy took him into the next room, which was actually a large cafeteria, with wooden lunch tables and benches all aligned in rows. "This is the cafeteria," she sang, patting one of the tables as they walked along. "We serve three meals a day, but if you ever want a snack all you have to do is ask Shelly, our cook. She's usually in the kitchen." Nancy pointed at a wooden door on the farthest wall to the right.

Nancy opened another door, and Kaname wondered briefly at how big the building actually was. Nancy caught his attention by picking up a crumpled paper from the floor and throwing it into the nearest trash can, frowning as she did. "This is the school room," she said. Kaname looked around curiously, marveling at the number of desks and chairs in the giant room. "There are three other ones," Nancy went on. "In the morning, the elementary students occupy the rooms, but after lunch, the high school students come in."

Nancy put her hands on her hips and smiled. "Well, that's the last of them. I'll show you to a room once I find a boy who doesn't have anyone to share theirs with, 'kay?"

Nancy took him through yet another door, and they both entered a room that looked much like a foyer. The floor was carpeted, and there was a whitish-gold chandelier hanging from the ceiling. The room was white, much like the rest of the building, and at both ends of the room were staircases that led to opposite directions. "That one over there," Nancy pointed to the staircase at the right end of the room, "leads to the girls' dormitory. The other one leads to the boys' dormitory. Boys are never allowed to enter the girls' dorm, and vice versa. Understand?"

Kaname nodded, feeling smaller than he actually was. He hadn't expected the orphanage to be school-like, but he liked the fact that he'd still be learning even if he didn't have Ichiou's tutors with him. Nancy took him up the staircase that led to the boys' dorm, but she stopped abruptly and looked at Kaname with stern but yet warm eyes. "Kaname, this rule applies to you and you only." She took a deep breath, looking apologetic. "You are never allowed to drink anyone's blood, or to harm anyone here. Ever." Her serious face faded away, and she smiled once again. "Is there anything I can do to sate your thirst?"

Kaname nodded and told her the story of how he and Takuma created these pills called blood tablets. Though they weren't as strong as regular blood, they were enough to keep you in control for a week or so. They'd tested the pills on themselves, and they proved to be highly convenient.

Nancy thought for a moment, then said, "We have a fully equipped science lab here. Do you think you could make some for yourself?"

"I can," Kaname replied. In his haste to get out of the Ichijou house, he had completely forgotten to bring the tablets along with him. Therefore, he was glad that he had another means of getting blood without having to kill an innocent human for it.

Nancy clapped her hands. "Great! You can do that after school on Monday. Oh, and are you gonna have any problems with the schedule? Because I know that vampires usually sleep during the day…"

Kaname smiled. "I can manage." He didn't care if he had to change his normal lifestyle. As long as he was away from Ichiou, he was okay with anything.

Nancy began to ascend the flight of stairs and once they reached the next floor, she knocked on every door, just to ask if each boy had a roommate. Five minutes later, the pair came across a boy who had the room to himself. Nancy nudged the door open even though the boy inside clearly was not happy at the idea of having to share his room with someone.

Kaname took a long look around the room. It wasn't as big as the one he had in Ichiou's house, but it was a reasonable size to house two people. The walls were covered with posters of Tony Hawk and the band Godsmack and the floor could hardly be seen with the amount of clothes spread all over it. There were two study desks in the room, one used for studying, and the other one apparently used to hold gloves, hats, and scarves, as if there wasn't enough of the floor to go around.

Nancy sighed. "Daniel, this is why I tell you to clean up after yourself. Now you have a new roommate so you have to give him half of the room!"

The boy named Daniel groaned. "Then have him sleep somewhere else!" Daniel had short, light brown hair, and dark brown eyes. He was almost as tall as Kaname, but the way his shoulders hunched made him shorter by just a few inches.

Nancy shook her head and said, "Clean this up." She turned to Kaname and patted his shoulder. "If you have any problems, you can always come and talk to me at the front desk." At this, she eyed Daniel suspiciously before exiting the room, leaving Kaname alone with a complete stranger. The two teens stared at each other in awkward silence until Daniel bent down to scoop up some clothes and throw them into a laundry hamper. Kaname set his bag down on the second bed, which was surprisingly not covered in clothes and trash. He watched Daniel clean for a bit, before quietly saying, "I'll help." The two cleaned in companionable silence until the room looked decent, the only object still covered in garbage was the desk.

Kaname looked at the desk questioningly, but Daniel waved it off with his hand and said, "I'll clean that up later. Thanks for the help." He held his fist out. "Nancy calls me Daniel to annoy me, but really, everyone calls me Dan."

Kaname bumped his fist against Dan's, assuming that this was the natural thing to do. It was, since Dan didn't seem weirded out or anything. "I'm Kaname."

Dan's eyebrows lifted. "Wow. Are you Japanese?"

Kaname nodded. "Yeah."

"That's cool. Hey, wanna head to the library? We could meet up with my friends there."

Kaname rubbed his arm nervously. "But don't we have school?"

Dan laughed. "It's Sunday, man! No school! Come on, let's go. You could leave your coat on the bed."

Kaname did so, and he followed his new roommate back to the library, which was now crowded with people. Earlier when it had just been him and Nancy, the room had seemed really pretty and cozy, but now since it was full with teens and kids, it felt like a madhouse. Kaname tried to act normal as he let Dan lead him through the throng of people, intent on not accidentally stepping on someone's foot. Finally, Dan called out to a group of boys playing Connect Four on a coffee table. They greeted him with "Yo, Dan!" and high-fives, while Kaname stood awkwardly a few feet away.

Dan was laughing when he suddenly remembered the boy he was walking with just a minute ago. "Hey, guys, this is Kaname, my new roommate." Kaname went around fist bumping everyone in the group, his face flushing. He sat down next to a boy with white-blonde hair, who Dan introduced as Ryan. The boys were all about to get into skateboard talk when Kaname felt a certain aura coming from somewhere behind him. He froze in his seat, his fists clenched on either side of his thighs.

It was a vampire hunter aura he sensed. But why would a hunter be here? Kaname turned around, searching for the owner of the aura, when he found himself staring deeply into violet eyes. As his garnet eyes focused on the boy, he recognized him immediately.

It was the silver-haired boy from the pictures in the lobby.

_Gah, cliffhanger! Please review and tell me what you think about it, so I know how to go about this as I write chapter two. Hopefully, that will come either later this week or sometime next week. Thank you for reading and please review and follow! ^-^_


	2. Fitting In

_I'd like to mention that in this fic, Zero is not a vampire. I thought it'd be better to clarify that now before the chapters start rolling in._

_So, here is Chapter Two! Ta-da! ^-^_

**Chapter Two: Fitting In**

Kaname gazed deeply into the boy's eyes, forgetting that he had a Hunter aura emanating from him. He had never seen any pair of eyes more beautiful than the ones who belonged to this boy. The silver-haired boy stared back, unable to tear his eyes away from the Pureblood's.

"That's Zero Kiryuu." Dan's voice interrupted Kaname's silent meeting with the hunter, and the pureblood reluctantly turned toward him. "He's the smartest kid in his grade, all the girls like him, but he doesn't talk to anyone." Dan shot a glare at the silver-haired boy, who was no longer looking their way.

"The guy's a jerk," Ryan added, picking up a red checker piece from the game. "All the girls waste their time with him."

Kaname bit back a smirk, tilting his head once more towards the hunter. He felt that he was somewhat closer to Zero than Dan and Ryan were, even though they had spent much more time with him than Kaname had. He wanted to know so much more about this boy, for reasons he could not pinpoint.

A moment later, a ringing noise reverberated off the school walls, forcing everyone into silence for a few seconds. Then, without any further warning, the students got up and headed towards the door on the left wall, where the cafeteria was. Kaname was about to ask what was happening when Dan stood up and said, "Finally, I'm starving!" and followed the other students to the cafeteria. Kaname got up as well, remembering that he hadn't eaten anything since he got off the plane. He followed Dan and his friends to the wooden table closest to the kitchen, where they all sat down and waited. Kaname looked around the now crowded room, wondering how the food was served. He assumed that they'd all have to get up at one point and retrieve their meals from the kitchen, so he braced himself for the incoming madness.

At the moment, though, he was scanning the room for a certain silver-haired boy. He found Zero sitting four tables away from them, his face staring at nothing in particular. Before he could gaze any longer, a not-so-gentle tap on his shoulder made him give his attention back to the group of boys he was sitting with. Dan and the boys were looking at him expectantly, and Kaname realized that he had been asked a question. "I'm sorry. What?"

Dan rolled his eyes. "While you were staring at Mr. Kiryuu over there, I asked if you had any hobbies."

Kaname blushed for the shortest second before turning to his regular skin color again. "Hobbies?"

"Yeah, like what are your favorite things to do? Video games, sports…?"

Kaname thought for a moment. He didn't remember doing anything he enjoyed back in Ichiou's house, besides running away, which didn't sound like a typical hobby. But he remembered a certain game he played way back when his parents were alive; a game he exceeded at. Finally he answered, "I like playing chess."

The boys were taken aback by this statement. They all stared at each other and at Kaname, before one of them, a skinny boy with black hair, snorted and said, "Chess? Really? I thought a guy with your looks was into football or something."

"Shut up, Ben!" Dan snapped. "The guy could do whatever he wants." He turned back to Kaname and asked politely, "Are you any good at it?"

Kaname shrugged, embarrassed now. "I guess I am."

Dan looked past Kaname and at Zero, who was staring at a wall. He turned back to Kaname and grinned. "Every Thursday, the orphanage has this Chess Tournament thing right after school. All the nerds and geeks go to it, but the same guy wins every time." He nudged the boy next to him, who snickered. "And who might that be?" Dan continued. "Well, the great Zero Kiryuu of course."

Kaname glared at him, and Dan put his hands up. "No, no, I didn't mean it like that. I meant that if you're so good at chess, then you should go to that tournament this Thursday. Who knows, you might be able to beat Kiryuu."

"Ten bucks on Kiryuu," Ryan said suddenly. The other boys joined in, placing bets on Kaname and Zero even though the former hadn't even said if he would try it yet. Kaname ignored them and looked around the cafeteria, trying not to let his gaze drift to the hunter sitting a few tables away. He was wondering when the food would be coming, for they had been sitting in the cafeteria for ten minutes now.

Finally, the doors to the kitchen opened, and ladies wearing white smocks and hair nets paraded around the lunchroom, pushing carts holding what was hopefully the students' dinner. Later, when every student had their meal in front of them, did the conversations continue from where they left off. Kaname watched as Dan and lifted the silver cover from his plate and began to stuff himself. Kaname did the same with his plate, and he felt his stomach growl in eagerness as the smell of warm rice and fried chicken enveloped his senses.

_St. Joseph's is really fancy, _he thought as he took a spoonful of rice to his mouth. _If I hadn't known better, I'd have probably thought this was a hotel instead of an orphanage. _Kaname relished in delight at how good the food was, and he permitted himself one last look at Zero Kiryuu before he attempted to join the boys' skateboard conversation. When he spotted the hunter again, a group of girls had crowded around the boy, all of them looking expectant. With his pureblood hearing, Kaname quickly picked up the gist of the conversation.

"…wondering if you and I could see that new movie tonight?" One tall blonde girl was saying as she twirled a lock of her hair in nervousness.

Zero shook his head and replied, "I don't like those kinds of movies."

The girl's expression showed a little bit of rejection, which was instantly replaced with perseverance. "Oh, well we could see 'The Amazing Spiderman' instead. It's been out for a few months but I think it's pretty cool—"

"No." His voice was so cold, so menacing, that even Kaname shivered from where he was sitting. He didn't feel an ounce of sympathy for the blonde, for she was completely aware of the silverette's personality and she had it coming. When Kaname looked again, the girl muttered a hasty "Okay, then" before turning to her group of friends who had accompanied her. They gave her comforting pats and "Maybe next time, Jessica" comments as they headed back to their table. Before they could sit down, though, one of the girls leaned in and whispered viciously to the girl named Jessica, and the group slowly turned to look in Kaname's direction. Jessica smiled and she beckoned for her group to follow her as she walked to the table Kaname was sitting at.

_Great… _he thought as the blonde smiled and asked Dan and the others to scoot down the bench so she could sit across from the pureblood. The boys silently complied, all of them sending shocked gazes at the brown-haired vampire. The rest of her group crowded around the boys, all watching with interested expressions.

Jessica nodded in gratitude and turned her attention to the beautiful boy sitting across from her. "My friends noticed you watching me back there, and I was just wondering…" she reached over and lightly placed her hand on top of Kaname's, "…if you would come see a movie with me tonight. I still have an extra ticket, and I really don't wanna waste it." She purposely said her words slowly, as if to create a sexual atmosphere between her and Kaname.

Behind Jessica, Kaname caught Zero looking at the two, listening in on their conversation. Zero smirked at Kaname's irritated expression, and put his hands up as if to say, "Sorry, not my fault." Kaname blushed, feeling the flutter of butterfly wings in his stomach as he realized that Zero had actually attempted to communicate with him.

Jessica, noticing his attention starting to waver, lightly turned his face to look at her. Her other hand moved to hold onto his chin, and she continued to drone on. "Or, if you don't want to, we could go to one of the ski lifts and eat at a restaurant on top of the mountain." She smiled sweetly, her blue eyes opening wider as if she thought that she could suck him in with them.

Kaname lightly pulled his hand out from her under her hand, and turned his chin away from her grip. He really didn't like this girl. He could see why Zero had rejected her so coldly earlier. "I'm sorry, but I just came in from Japan, and I'm really tired." His brown eyes started into her blue ones, and he added, "Plus, you don't know anything about me. Not even my name. I suggest that the next time you try to ask someone out, you ask for their name first."

Jessica's face showed a mixture of surprise and anger. Surprise because there was a possibility of getting rejected twice in one day, and anger because the new guy had the nerve to talk to her like that! She was about to snap back at him when his brown eyes glared at her, and she actually thought she saw a flash of red in them before they turned back to brown. She nodded and quickly hustled back once again to her table, her friends doing the same.

Kaname was about to return to his food when Dan elbowed him. He reluctantly looked at his roommate, who looked like Kaname had just taken something special from him. "Dude, what the hell was that about? You just _rejected Jessica Moore!_" That last part came out in a hiss, for the students in the neighboring tables were watching their group in mute interest. Kaname could care less, and he took a sip from his cup of water before saying, "I just told her the truth. And didn't you see her doing the same to Kiryuu? After he rejected her, she came to me immediately, as if she believed that she could have any boy in this room only if she asked."

Dan looked at him in astonishment, but then he nodded in agreement. "Yeah… Jessica has this reputation as the girl who dates a different boy every night. Nancy's always been trying to talk her out of it, but the girl's a… what do you call it…?"

"Slut?" Ryan chipped in.

"Yeah. I heard that Nancy and the other caretakers were talking about transferring her to another orphanage, but decided not to because they believed that all kids should get second chances." Dan shook his head. "But Jessica's not a kid. She's like the she-devil." Dan looked at Kaname again and said, "I think that besides Kiryuu, you're the first to ever burn her like that. Congrats!"

"But next time," Ryan added, "if a chick comes up to you and you don't want her, you could always just politely point her over to the guys you hang with. 'Cause face it, man. All the girls like you already." The other boys nodded in agreement, and Dan just waved them off, muttering something about selfishness.

About an hour later, Kaname followed Dan back to their room, feeling the exhaustion starting to creep on him. Usually at this time, Kaname would be awake and working on something Ichiou's tutors had given him, but now all the pureblood wanted to do was sleep. Kaname collapsed on his bed, about to sleep but knowing that he should shower first. He reluctantly dragged himself and his bag to the bathroom a few feet away from his bed, and took a short, warm shower. Afterwards, while he was brushing his teeth, sounds from the bedroom told him that Dan was cleaning the other desk like he said he would. Kaname smiled at himself in the mirror, feeling oddly at ease in this place. Sure, he was still worried about Takuma back at home, but now he actually felt that he had a future. And this time, he wasn't so lonely anymore. This made him think about Zero, and he wondered where the silverette was sleeping.

Kaname nearly choked on his toothpaste as he silently chastised himself. _Why do you care so much about him? The guy's a __**Hunter**__, dammit! Don't tell me you actually __**like**__ him! _Kaname blushed furiously as he spit in the sink. He was old enough to decide whether he preferred girls over boys or vice versa, but he grew up believing that he'd get a _wife_ and not something else. He quickly brushed those thoughts away and got dressed in his pajamas, wanting sleep to overcome him quickly so he wouldn't have to think anymore.

Back in the bedroom, Dan didn't care enough to ask about the choking noises Kaname was making earlier, but he did notice that Kaname's face was redder and rosier than before. He smiled to himself, thinking that he had a pretty good idea about why Kaname was choking in the bathroom. He settled in his bed and was about to make a remark before the darker-haired boy turned away from him.

Kaname, realizing what Dan was thinking based off his body language, hastily climbed into bed and pulled the covers over him, muttering a raspy "Good night" to his roommate before succumbing to the call of sleep.

…

"Kaname!" The pureblood stirred slightly, but otherwise made no move at the sound of his name being called. He felt something soft being thrown at him, but all he did was pull the covers up over his head, shielding his face from the white light coming from the window.

"KANAME!" The voice was louder now, and much closer. He felt the covers being wrenched away from him, and he quickly buried his face into a pillow as the light washed over him. Someone was shaking him roughly, yelling about lunch and classes.

_Who was this guy? _Kaname was about to throw him across the room before memories of the past few days sank in. He remembered running away, landing in Denver, going to Breckinridge, finding St. Joseph's, Zero Kiryuu… He blushed right away, his hands covering his face.

"Oh my God, WAKE UP, KANAME!" Dan pulled the drowsy pureblood off the bed and dragged him into the bathroom. "I was being nice when I said you didn't have to wake up for breakfast, but right now you're going to make us miss lunch and Nancy is _not _gonna be happy when she finds out that I let you miss two meals in a row." Dan shoved Kaname into the bathtub and walked out of the bathroom to retrieve his bag. He flung it on the floor beside the toilet before going back out and shutting the door. Dan yelled, "Hurry!" and went to gather his school things while waiting for his roommate.

Kaname blinked in surprise. In his old life, no one would dare to order a pureblood around like this. Part of him was happy that he was being treated normally, but the other part thought that Dan was getting pretty annoying. He stood up and got out of his clothes before turning the showerhead on, rinsing his body with warm water. He supposed he'd have to get used to the human time here, for a lot of questions would be raised if the students found out that the new kid slept during the day and lived through the night. Nancy probably would have allowed him to maintain his old schedule, but he thought it would be too complicated and unnecessary. Adapting to the ever-changing world was the only way to survive.

Three minutes later, Kaname was dressed in jeans and a dark button-down shirt, and as he dried his hair with a towel he thought about the curriculum here. He thought he would excel at it, for he excelled at mostly everything, but he wondered how smart Zero Kiryuu really was. Kaname imagined what it would be like if he beat Zero in the chess tournament this Thursday, and if the hunter would be more interested in him if he did.

_Shut up, Kuran! Just because you're not living with Ichiou doesn't mean you have to act all soft._ Kaname closed his eyes and forced his temperature to go down. He told himself that he would no longer pay attention to whatever Zero did, and he would _not _be disappointed.

A loud knock on the bathroom door made him open his eyes, and Dan didn't have to say anything to let Kaname know that he wanted him to hurry up. Kaname hung his towel on a hook and opened the door, ignoring Dan until he set his bag on his bed once again. He didn't think of bringing any school supplies with him, but before he could even start to worry Dan shook his head and said, "They'll give them to you once we get to class. That is, if we ever make it to lunch first."

Kaname rolled his eyes and was about to exit the room when there was a knock on the bedroom door. He opened it to reveal Nancy, her blonde hair tied back in a ponytail. Her young face smiled at him and entered the room. "Good morning, boys," she greeted cheerily. She was holding a box in her hands, and she motioned for Kaname to come forward. She set the box on the ground and opened it, pulling out two sweaters. "Every time we receive a new guest we always give them two sweaters. I suggest you wear one today because it's gonna start snowing again, and right now the heaters are being repaired." She unfolded one of them and held it out for him to see.

Kaname frowned, and Dan burst into laughter. Nancy pulled back and looked at the garment before glaring at the two teenagers before her. "What's wrong with it?" she demanded.

Dan was about to answer, but he doubled over and held onto his stomach as he cackled once more. Nancy turned her gaze to Kaname, who said, "It's fine." He took the sweater from her and shrugged into it, feeling warmer once it covered his torso and arms.

Nancy smiled and straightened out a few wrinkles before spinning Kaname around and making him face Dan. "See, Daniel? It's _adorable_!"

Dan straightened up, but anyone could tell he was trying hard not to laugh. He folded his arms over chest and tried to make his face serious. "Yeah, um, it… looks…." Dan failed and laughed again before saying, "Awww Kaname you look so _cute_!" He reached out to grab Kaname's cheeks but Kaname smacked his hands away.

"Do you wanna see, Kaname?" Nancy asked, but before he could answer, she pulled him into the bathroom, and from there Kaname could see how hideous the sweater was. On the part which covered his stomach, was a snowman, dancing along to the musical notes which hung in the air. In the background behind the snowman, he could see an outline of a pack of reindeer pulling a sleigh across the night sky. Kaname wanted to rip the damn thing off of him, but he didn't want to get Nancy upset.

Nancy got up on her toes and ruffled his hair, taking in his embarrassed expression in the mirror. "Well, what do you think?"

"It…well, it's something," Kaname managed to say before ducking his head, not wanting to look anymore.

Nancy pulled him out of the bathroom and she bent down toward the box again. "Oh, and that's just the Christmas version. This one—", she pulled out the second sweater, "—is the Thanksgiving version. I guess you should wear this one today because we're closer to Thanksgiving than Christmas." Unlike the Christmas sweater, this one had a turkey dancing in the middle of a pumpkin patch, surrounded by smiling pilgrims who were all carrying pitchforks.

Luckily, Dan grabbed Kaname's arm and pulled him towards the door. "Sorry, Nancy, but we really have to go or we're gonna miss lunch." And before Nancy could stop them, they were already out of the room and were running down the hall. When Kaname was trying to tug the thing off, Dan laughed and said, "You'd better not. Nancy might check on you during class."

Kaname groaned and stopped his attempt. He and Dan walked to the cafeteria in absolute silence, except for Dan's occasional taunts at the other's new sweater. Kaname decided to ignore him until he could act mature, which actually brought the opposite result. When they got to the table, Dan's group was already there. A second hadn't even passed before they all poked fun at Kaname's new sweater, and Kaname almost sat another table when Dan pulled him down next to him on the bench.

"Don't worry, Kaname, we all had to wear that when we first came," Dan reassured as he dug into the already cold plate of food in front of him.

"Yeah," Ryan said. "But we were kids at the time, so it really didn't matter." He snickered along with the others until Dan flung a pickle slice at him. All of them were done with their hamburgers with the exceptions of Kaname and Dan, so they all watched as the two consumed their lunch.

Kaname didn't like being stared at, so he turned away and nibbled at his burger in distaste. He was starting to get thirsty, and therefore anything that he ate or drank that wasn't blood made him cringe in disgust. He really wanted to get the day over with so he could create blood tablets in the science lab, but Dan and his friends weren't making that any easier for him.

Finally, the bell rang and the high school students headed to the adjoining classrooms. Ryan and the rest of the group went to the public high school, so it was only Kaname and Dan who walked to class together. Dan went to his assigned table, and the seat next to him was occupied. The classroom was already full, even though most of the students had gone to the high school a few streets over. Kaname went to the front of the class to the meet the teacher, who handed him his school supplies and gave him a seat in the very back row. He ignored all the eyes on his face and sweater and went to take his seat in a calm demeanor. If anyone was a master of masks, it was Kaname. The girl sitting next to him stared toward the front of the classroom, but every now and then she'd take a peek at the beautiful boy sitting next to him. The girl had glasses over her hazel eyes, and freckles covered most of her face. Her auburn hair was braided, and Kaname had to think that she was one of the people who frequently participated in the chess tournament.

Finally, the teacher, a wrinkled woman with graying black hair, took a pile of packets from her desk and began distributing it to each student. "I hope you all studied for this test, for your grade for this semester wholly depends on it." This statement earned groans from all over the room, making the teacher assume that only five percent of the students would actually finish the semester with a good grade. She sighed as she came to Kaname's table, and before giving him the test, she said, "I know you're new, dear, but please try your best." She handed two tests to him and his desk mate before walking away, signaling the start of the test.

Kaname opened the booklet and flipped through it. Trigonometry. He remembered studying this a while back with Ichiou's tutors, and he had exceeded at it. He had always been advanced for his age, and now he was glad that that skill would come in handy. He took his pencil, and ignoring the eyes of the girl next to him, began the test.

…

Kaname awoke to a gentle tapping on his shoulder. He lifted his head from where it was resting in his arms and looked at the girl next to him. She nodded toward the front of the class, where the teacher was getting up from her desk, a big smile on her face. Kaname had fallen asleep a little after he had turned in his test booklet, and when he looked at the clock, he realized he had slept for a whole two hours.

The woman cleared her throat, summoning the attention of the teenagers. "Okay guys, I'm done grading the finals." She flipped through the booklets in her arms quickly before saying, "Most of you did very well on it, but something… different has happened." She beamed at the class, the skin around her eyes crinkling as she smiled. "Congratulations to Mr. Kiryuu, who once again has attained a perfect score!"

There were scattered murmurs of "Wow" and sarcastic remarks, but at a glare from the teacher did the class applaud for the silver-haired hunter. Kaname searched the room and found him sitting in the very front row, his head bowed down in embarrassment. He realized that he hadn't sensed his aura because he was trying so hard to ignore the silverette.

The teacher cleared her throat again, and her eyes trailed from Zero to Kaname. "Along with Mr. Kiryuu, Mr. Kuran has also gotten a perfect score!"

The students looked around, wondering which student the teacher was talking about. Finally, to Kaname's total embarrassment, Dan stood up and looked his way. "Great job, Kaname!" He begun to clap, and soon the whole class clapped with him, every student excited that someone had actually gotten to the same level as Zero Kiryuu.

Kaname looked down and blushed, reminding himself to sleep in again the next day just to get on Dan's nerves. When he looked up again, Zero's eyes were on him, his face amused, but he didn't look surprised at all. Kaname quickly looked away, in fear of blushing again. The bell finally rang, and the current teacher walked out, patting him on the head as she did. A few minutes later, a new teacher came in, this one a young brown-haired man in his early thirties. The students in the classroom switched seats, but Kaname remained in his chair. Nobody had come to claim the desk from him, so he decided to stay. When he heard the scraping of the chair next to him, he turned his head in that direction. Brown eyes met violet, and before Kaname knew it, he was sitting right next to Zero Kiryuu. He did not know why this sent shivers of excitement through his body. _Damn it, Kuran! Get it together!_

Zero nodded at him before turning his gaze to the blackboard. Kaname did the same, sitting straighter and keeping his hands clenched. He had never felt this way about anyone before, but since the moment he met Zero Kiryuu, he knew he felt a spike of interest for the boy. Really pathetic, since he was the pureblood prince Kaname Kuran, and Zero was a Hunter—his mortal enemy.

Kaname tried his best to listen to the teacher's lecture, but the scent of the boy next to him made him dizzy. He glanced at the clock every few minutes, hoping that school would be over soon, but the time was so slow today.

The teacher began to pass out their homework, and the class became livelier. Kaname assumed that it was okay to talk during homework time, but he had no idea what to say to the compelling Hunter sitting right next to him. As soon as he was given his homework, he set to work on it, trying hard to make it seem like he wasn't rushing. Later, when he finished, he contemplated over what he was going to do next. Didn't he tell himself not to get too close to Zero earlier? _Stupid, stupid, stupid—_

"Kuran Kaname." Zero had said his name for the first time ever, making Kaname's insides leap with unexpected joy. He had said it in a Japanese accent, putting the other's last name before the first. Kaname looked at him, feeling understanding dawn him at once.

Kiryuu. A Japanese name. Zero Kiryuu was Japanese. Like Kaname. Kaname was Japanese. _So what? _He yelled silently. There were so many other Japanese people out there, why did it matter if Kiryuu happened to be one? Kaname knew the answer. In this strange, foreign country, he wasn't close to anyone. But because Zero knew of the world of vampires and that he was a Hunter from Japan made him _that _much closer to Kaname.

Kaname realized that he still hadn't said anything, but before he could answer, Zero smiled and said, "I won't ask about the sweater."

Kaname blushed, wanting to tear the hideous thing off right away. He wasn't surprised when the hunter began to speak in Japanese. He smiled back, feeling shy. He looked at the packet sitting before Zero, and he realized that Zero had finished his homework as well.

"Congratulations on that high score," Kaname responded in the same tongue, looking down as he did.

"Thanks, and you too. Now that you're here, I finally have some competition." Zero winked at the pureblood, knowing that the other knew of the implied double-meaning behind the statement.

Kaname did. Zero was the kind of hunter who would never let his guard down, even if Kaname seemed like a nice, tame vampire. He was glad that the hunter had said that, for now he planned on being extra cautious around Zero, just in case.

The two stared at each other, not knowing what to say. Finally, Kaname quietly asked, "What is a hunter doing here in America?"

Kaname panicked when Zero shot him a glare. He didn't want to be on bad terms with the boy. _Because he's a Hunter, that's all. You could care less if he liked you or not._ But Zero quickly shook his head and sighed. "I'm here because I have no family. They were killed by a pureblood vampire." He said the last two words with added vigor, making Kaname feel guilty even though he knew he shouldn't.

"I'm sorry" was all Kaname could say. Zero nodded, looking down. "After their murder, another hunter, Cross Kaien, took me in to live with him. I lived with him for a few months before the Association sent me here. They wanted me to experience a new environment." He shrugged and looked at Kaname again. "I guess that's it."

Kaname didn't want Zero to stop talking. His voice was rough and low, but it was gentle as well. Kaname knew it was stupid of him to be thinking this way, but he couldn't help it. "Do you still train?"

"To be a Hunter? Yes. Didn't Nancy tell you about me when you signed in?"

"No." _It would have been some helpful information, though._

"Maybe she forgot." Zero picked up his pencil and started doodling around the edges of his homework sheet. "I told you my story. What's yours?" His beautiful violet eyes looked up, making Kaname's insides churn.

Kaname looked at his desk, so as to not get too sucked in. He contemplated over whether he should tell the hunter, but it wasn't as if Zero was a spy of Ichiou, right? So Kaname answered, "My uncle killed my parents when I was thirteen years old. Since then, the Council sent me to live with one of their Elders, Asato Ichijou. He… he was always after my blood. So he was always looking for ways to make me give it to him. So I ran away." Kaname closed his eyes, feeling the anguish if his parents' death overcome him. It was always like that whenever he mentioned them. _Pathetic._

Zero didn't know what to say, so he repeated what Kaname had said earlier. "I'm sorry." The two sat in silence once again, staring at everything except for each other. Finally, Zero asked, "Have you bitten any humans lately? 'Cause if you did, I'm going to have to shoot you." He meant it as a joke, just to keep Kaname talking. He thought the vampire was quite… interesting.

Kaname chuckled. "Don't worry, that's never going to happen."

"How are you gonna… drink, then?" Zero thought that overall, the vampires' appetite was really gross, and he had never asked about it before, so it seemed really awkward to be talking about it now.

"Later, I'm going down to the science lab and I'm going to create pills that sustain my thirst." _Should I be telling him this?_

"Umm… that's cool. So I won't have to shoot you." Zero sighed, as if to say, "Darn, but I wish I could!"

Kaname actually laughed. He covered his lips with one hand as he shook giddily, feeling horribly embarrassed. Dan was looking at him from his seat with disapproving eyes, making Kaname use both hands to shield his mirth. _What are you doing? You're acting like a girl!_

Zero began to laugh as well—the vampire next to him looked just so cute trying to hide his happiness. _What the hell? He is _not _cute! _At this thought, Zero laughed even harder, punching Kaname in the shoulder lightly, giving him the silent message saying, "Shut up, everyone's looking at us now."

And it was true. Any student within a two-desk radius turned to look at the two genius boys sitting in the back row, laughing like schoolgirls. Many began to whisper, and Kaname did _not _like where this was heading. The last thing he needed was to have all the rumors being about _him._ He took a deep breath and stopped, feeling relieved when Zero did the same. They didn't look at each other for a while, in fear of laughing again. The other students finally turned away, most of them looking disappointed.

When the bell rang, Zero quickly moved to another seat at the far end of the room, not making eye contact with Kaname. Kaname didn't know whether to feel hurt or relieved at this, but he soon told himself that the hunter, like him, was on-the-fence on trusting the other. He was a little glad, for now he could keep his thoughts straight.

The next few classes went on pretty slowly, probably because Kaname was trying so hard not to look at the hunter sitting a few rows in front of him. This took sheer determination, and by the end of the day, he was exhausted. After getting directions to the science lab from one of the teachers, he headed to the said location, shutting Zero out of his head so he wouldn't mess up while making the blood tablets.

…

Kaname plopped down onto his bed, feeling tired and satisfied. The blood tablets he made were very effective, so he didn't feel thirsty at all. He had finished all his homework back in class, and they just recently had dinner, so all he was thinking of now was sleep.

And Zero Kiryuu.

Back in the cafeteria, Zero had sat in the same spot as yesterday, and he didn't look at Kaname at all. Kaname sat with Dan and his friends, all of them unusually quiet, probably because Dan had told them about Kaname being all buddy-buddy with the genius Kiryuu.

Now, Kaname blushed, pulling the covers over his shoulders. He heard the sounds of Dan exiting the bathroom and getting into his bed, and even though the pureblood was facing the opposite wall, he could feel his roommate's gaze burning into his back. Finally, when he knew Dan wasn't going to say anything, Kaname flipped over to his right side and asked, "What is it, Dan?"

Dan smiled devilishly. "So… you and Kiryuu, huh?"

Kaname glared and threw a pillow at the boy, which Dan had neatly blocked with one of his pillows. Dan roared with laughter, covering his face with his blanket in a futile attempt to muffle it. Finally, when he was just chuckling, Kaname said, "It's not like that." He purposely added a little unnecessary vigor to his statement.

Dan smiled. "Okay, okay, I'm sorry, bro. Just don't forget about the guy who introduced you to him, alright?" And with another snort, he turned off the light, leaving Kaname to blush and glare at him with ferocity.

And later, as his eyes closed in exhaustion, as much as he hated to admit it, he dreamt of Zero Kiryuu.

_Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Don't forget to review! ^-^_


	3. Accidental Encounter

_Hey guys! *waves* Thanks so much to those who reviewed and followed! You guys encourage me to keep on writing. I love you all! :D _

_I'm so, so sorry for the long wait, but school has started again *sobs* so I really have no time to update weekly. But I'll try to get them on the site as fast as I can. Gomen! *bows*_

_Alright, I'll shut up now. Here's Chapter 3! :)_

**Chapter Three: Accidental Encounter**

"Aren't you supposed to be doing your homework, Kaname?" Ryan looked at the pureblood with eyes full of contempt, his grip on his pencil tighter than necessary.

Kaname turned away from the window and stared at Ryan with all the innocence he could muster. "I finished it yesterday, during class." Kaname looked at the poor pencil in the other boy's hand in amusement, wondering if he should use his powers to make it snap into two pieces.

Dan grinned from beside Kaname, working on his homework like the rest of the boys were. Earlier that morning, the boys woke up to find the landscape covered in three inches of snow. Due to school regulations, Nancy was forced to close the school down for the day. Now, the library was full of high school and elementary students rushing to get their homework done.

Kaname was sitting on one of the leather couches, squeezed in between Dan and Ben, the boy who had made fun of him for playing chess the other day. Since the elementary students were also in the library, there was really no space for anything, and Kaname wanted so much to go back to his room and regain the sleep that his nightmare had stolen from him.

_He was lying on the ground, his body covered in the cold breeze that whisked by. He opened his eyes slowly, and a chill ran down his spine as he realized that there was nothing but darkness surrounding him. He struggled to his feet, feeling for something, anything for him to hold._

_Suddenly, out of nowhere, two voices were calling his name from behind him. He turned around, surprised to see a light a few yards before him. He walked toward the light, noticing that he was in a tunnel of some sort. As he got closer to the opening, the voices calling him got louder and louder._

_Finally, he was close enough to see two figures standing in the opening, their faces smiling and their arms encouraging him to come closer. He nearly ran towards them when he finally heard what they were saying to him._

"_Kaname, it's us! Come, let's go home!" Juri waved at him, her brown eyes wide with happiness. Beside her, Haruka was saying something, his voice soothing to the younger pureblood's ears. "Let's go, now, Kaname…"_

"_Mother! Father!" Kaname broke into a run, his footsteps echoing off the walls of the tunnel. He was so close, he could see them clearly now…_

_Kaname nearly ran into them, his hands grabbing onto them and trying to pull them in for a hug. But, as his eyes focused more on what was in front of him, he saw that there was a rusted gate blocking him from his parents._

"_No…" Kaname gripped the bars of the gate, trying to tear them away from their hinges. He looked up at his parents. "I can't get it open," he said in despair._

_Haruka began to help his son in removing the gate, but the damn thing wouldn't budge. He looked at his wife, her eyes gleaming with tears. He reached out in between the bars and took Kaname's hand in his, looking the boy straight in the eye._

"_I'm so sorry, Kaname," Haruka said quietly. He let go of Kaname's hand and took Juri's instead, and together they disappeared into a pool of light._

"_FATHER! MOTHER!" Kaname screamed, rattling the gate in his hands. He knelt onto the cold floor, sobbing loudly enough for his voice to echo off the walls._

_He sat there for a while, gripping the bars of the gate and sobbing uncontrollably. He didn't know where to go or what to do, and right now all he wanted to do was disappear, just as his parents had._

"_Kaname…" The pureblood's ears perked up at the sound of his name being called from behind him once again. He turned toward the voice, and at the other end of the tunnel, he saw a silver light. He slowly stood, and, not knowing what was happening, walked toward the light. As he got closer, he realized that the light was actually not light, but someone's silver hair. A boy about his age stood at the opening, not blocked by a gate like the other one had._

"_I'm sorry," said the boy, his lavender eyes narrowed in sympathy. He reached out and touched the brunette's shoulder, smiling just a little bit. "We'll get through this. Together."_

Kaname covered his eyes with his hand, his vision shifting back to the present. When he had woken from that dream, he found that he couldn't sleep again. In the beginning, he had thought that he was having a nightmare, but it had ended so nicely, so it had to be a dream. But he was so disturbed that the boy reaching out to him was Zero Kiryuu.

Kaname turned his gaze to where he sensed the Hunter's aura, and he found Zero sitting next to his desk mate from yesterday, the girl with the glasses. Like Kaname, Zero had already finished his homework from the other day, so he was helping the auburn-haired girl with her work.

Kaname was surprised to see Zero sitting with someone for once. He knew at once that the girl knew Zero because of her participation at the weekly Chess Tournaments, and the two of them were friends of some sort. Kaname hated that a little part of him was jealous that Zero was more comfortable with someone that wasn't him, and he fought the urge to go over to the teenagers and interrupt their conversation.

Luckily, though, Nancy entered the crowded room, and immediately everybody fell quiet. She smiled at the crowd, and said, "You guys are really lucky that it started snowing, for if it hadn't, you would've all gotten F's for the homework assignment. Hopefully, most of you are done… right?" She looked around, searching each student's face for the answer. Finding that most of them had finished their homework, Nancy smiled once again. "So, I'm issuing a school field trip! Yay!" She clapped her hands together, expecting the others to cheer along with her.

Unfortunately, though, the students looked back at her confusion, and one of them raised their hand and said, "But it's freezing outside!" Nancy rolled her eyes. "Come on, it's not too bad! If it weren't for the rules, you'd all be in class right now." The students quieted once again, not wanting to go back to class. "I already booked the ski lifts for today, so you high schoolers will go skiing!"

Dan and the others whooped, therefore causing the other high school students to cheer. Nancy waved her hand to quiet them. "The elementary students will go bowling. Those of you who don't have your homework done will stay here." And with that, she went over the rules and safety regulations, but really Kaname was the only one listening to her because the others had gone through this already. Finally, Nancy finished and left the room, leaving the students to scramble out and prepare for the trip.

Kaname accompanied Dan back to their room, feeling uneasy. Dan, noticing this, asked, "Have you ever gone skiing before?"

"No," Kaname replied. He sat on his bed and closed his eyes, his exhaustion almost taking him right there. "I think I'll just stay here."

Dan frowned. "Come on, Kaname, don't be a baby! Skiing's awesome!" He grinned devilishly, and Kaname knew at once what the other boy was thinking. "Kiryuu's really good at it, you know. You could ask him to teach you." At this, Dan laughed, and he began dressing in his snow pants and jacket, making use of the scarves and gloves that used to cover Kaname's desk. When he was done, he forced Kaname to do the same thing.

A little bit later, a black snowsuit covered Kaname's torso and legs, and when he shrugged into his dark gray jacket, he looked like a giant, burnt marshmallow. Kaname hardly cared because Dan looked nearly the same as he did, and he felt warm and comfortable.

They went out into the hallway, and as they descended the stairs Kaname almost lost his footing, cursing himself as he grabbed onto the railing for balance. He walked slower now, determined not to have it happen again with Dan so close by. In the foyer, the other high school students were dressed up in similar attire. The teachers who were assigned to accompany them made a quick headcount, and in a few minutes St. Joseph's high schoolers were squeezed into seven buses.

Kaname was grateful that he got to sit next to the window. This was the second time he had taken the bus, but this time it was not as homey and cozy as the first time he had ridden in one. He, Dan, and another boy shared one seat, and since all three of them had an extra hundred pounds of clothing on, Kaname couldn't even lift his arm. He sighed and pressed his cheek against the window, trying to get his woolen hat to slide over his eyes. It wouldn't, though, but he fell asleep anyway.

…

"Kaname? Not trying to skip out, are you?" Kaname was nudged gently on the shoulder, and his eyes fluttered open. He turned to look out the window, and what he saw amazed him. He was on the mountain! He could see the ski lifts rising and disappearing into the cloud-covered sky above him, and right next to them was where one of the ski slopes ended. The snow was untouched and flat, so it was obvious that no one had gone down the slope yet.

He stood up and followed Dan out of the bus, and the students began to split off in many directions. Most of them had headed to Ski Rental booth, while others went into the lodge to hang out with their friends. Now that Kaname was somewhat awake, he was a little excited to try skiing for the first time. He and Dan waited for the rest of the gang to arrive, and afterward they all headed to the Ski Rental booth to rent their ski equipment.

While at the booth, Dan explained to Kaname of the many different types of skis and ski poles, which ones that go faster and which ones have more balance. When Dan was about to talk about celebrity-recommended ski equipment, Kaname quickly eased away and rented the equipment that had good balance. He strapped his boots to the skis and gripped the two poles in his hands with newfound confidence. This was the first time since his parents' death that he was actually participating in an athletic sport, and he was willing to excel at it, because no matter what, Kaname Kuran had to be good at everything.

The group slowly waddled to the ski lift station, everyone eager to get to the top of the slope but the extra weight on their bodies was slowing them down. Kaname was surprised to see that there were no seat belts on the contraption, and before he knew it, Dan had pushed him into a seat and he was already up in the air.

Kaname was not someone who was afraid of heights. But because the skis were dragging his feet down, he started to panic just a little. The ski goggles over his eyes made everything darker in color, and he felt as if he were stuck in that crowded bus again. When he looked down, he saw nothing but fields of snow, and his legs dangling from the seat. Dan watched his roommate in amusement, occasionally nudging him playfully but not hard enough to push him off the lift.

After what seemed like forever, the pair had finally reached the top of the first slope. Dan led Kaname to where the slope began, and from where they were standing they could see the ski lodge and ski lift station clearly, for they weren't very far up the mountain. Ryan and the others had gone up to the more difficult slopes, but Dan, being the good friend that he was, decided to stay and teach Kaname the basics of skiing.

"Okay," Dan said, adjusting his goggles over his eyes. "This slope is for the beginners. Nancy was supposed to put you in a skiing class, but I guess she forgot." Dan shrugged, and pointed to the bottom of the slope with one of his poles. "This one's not too steep, so it'd be easy for you to control yourself as you go down."

"And how do I brake?" Kaname asked. He was itching to get started, but he didn't want to miss out on Dan's essential tips.

"When you get closer to the bottom, you have to put more weight on one of your legs and turn your toes uphill. This'll make your skis look like a horizontal line." He demonstrated with his skis, and Kaname nodded. "You could make the poles drag in the snow if you want to be slower." Dan grinned, and pulled himself toward the edge of the slope. "I'll meet you down there. Don't kill yourself!" And with that, he was already racing to the bottom of the hill.

Kaname took a deep breath and positioned himself at the edge like how Dan did a moment ago. He clenched his gloved hands over and over, praying that he wouldn't lose his grip on one of the poles. He spread his legs just a little wider for more balance, and finally, he pushed off the ski poles and started sliding down the hill.

Once he was gone, Kaname knew by instinct what he was supposed to do. He swiftly maneuvered in between bumps and ramps as he got lower, the snow under him spraying in every direction as he passed. When he spotted Dan at the bottom, he quickly shifted his legs so his toes were almost pointing up hill, and he skidded to a stop just a few yards away from his roommate.

Dan whooped and waddled over to Kaname, clapping him on the back. "Dude, you did GREAT!"

Kaname smiled victoriously, looking at the top of the slope, where he was standing just mere minutes ago. "Did I?" he panted.

"Yeah!" Dan motioned to the ski lifts. "Ready for the advanced slope?"

Kaname nodded, and the two of them headed for the slope that was slightly higher and steeper than the first one. Kaname used his earlier knowledge to ski down the slope, and this time he did it to near perfection. He realized that now, besides playing chess, skiing was his new favorite hobby.

_If only Takuma were here, _he thought sadly as he and Dan were on the ski lift heading toward the third slope. Kaname always felt guilty whenever his best friend crossed his mind, and all he could do was pray that Takuma was okay and that Ichiou hadn't done anything to him. The thought of Takuma reminded the pureblood of the silver-haired hunter, whom he had been trying to forget all morning. Kaname hadn't seen Zero since they were at the library, and a little part of him was hoping that Zero would see him excelling at skiing even though it was Kaname's first time.

_No! Shut up! I could care less what Kiryuu thinks! _ Kaname's eyes narrowed in frustration. How was it that Zero, a Hunter, could make Kaname, a pureblood, feel this way? Whenever he thought of the Hunter, his insides churned sickeningly, just like a lovesick teenager. It was stupid and dangerous for the pureblood. It made him feel more vulnerable than he wanted to be.

Kaname was glad when they reached the third slope, and as he hopped off the lift, he banished Zero from his mind completely. He was going to try—again—to ignore the Hunter.

The rest of the day went on quickly as Kaname skied down all of the slopes, up until the last one. When he and Dan reached the beginning point, Dan put his hand on Kaname's shoulder. "'Kay, Kaname. This… is the last and hardest slope. Only those who are extremely talented—", Dan pointed at himself, "—can make it down unscathed. You're in between Advanced and Almost-Gifted, but I think you'd be alright."

"…Okay." Kaname was a little put-off by this, but he was sure that he wouldn't get injured too much because of his pureblood strength. He looked down the slope, but he couldn't see the bottom because of how long it was. This didn't bother him, but he gripped the ski poles tighter just in case.

Because it was almost time to return to the orphanage, most of the students had pooled around the top of the slope, wanting to have a last go on the mountain. They were all aware that the new kid was also good at skiing, and some had even moved closer to Kaname, just to wish him luck. Kaname felt a warm glow emanating from his heart, mostly because here… he was accepted. Nobody was afraid of him because of what he was, and he wished it would stay like that for a long time.

Finally, Kaname pushed off the ski poles and zoomed down the mountain. The snow sprayed his goggles, but he was still able to see clearly. He eased his way down, dragging the poles in the snow so as not to crash into anybody. At this point, he could see the ski lifts and the lodge, but they were tiny dots on a white page, even with his pureblood vision. He was getting closer, and nothing had happened to him yet. Kaname now realized that Dan was just exaggerating during his explanation of the slope.

When Kaname thought he would make it to the finish completely unharmed, he heard a familiar voice shouting his name. The voice got louder and louder as it slid closer to Kaname.

"KURAN!" Kaname immediately knew who the voice belonged to, but before he could turn his head, something rammed into him, making him lose his grip on both the ski poles. He could feel them both tumbling down the hill, but he could see nothing past the water droplets on his goggles. The other boy's skis were poking painfully into his thighs, and Kaname would wince if he had time to, for they rolled down the slope at amazing speed.

Finally, the two of them crashed into something hard and cold. They had ceased rolling, but a pile of snow had fallen from the lowest branch of the tree that had stopped their trip down the hill. Kaname longed to pull his goggles off his face, but his body was trapped under the snow and the person lying on top of him.

Zero grunted, trying to heave himself off the pureblood, but his snow clothes and the snow prevented him from doing so. His head was on the other's chest, and he could feel Kaname's racing heart through his many layers of clothing. He had the sense to ask Kaname, "Are you okay?"

"Yes," Kaname exhaled. But Kaname was not okay. The goggles he was wearing made seeing very hard, and he felt very claustrophobic in his snow clothes. And to top it all off, Zero was _on top of him_!

_Every time I try to get away from him, he comes closer instead. _Kaname couldn't prevent the squeal that rang across his mind, and he blushed in embarrassment. He felt something very hard jabbing into his thigh, and he soon realized that it wasn't one of Zero's ski poles.

It was Zero's arousal. And it was hard enough for Kaname to feel it through his many layers of clothing.

As soon as he learned of this, Kaname felt his own length come to life under his jeans and snow pants. _Why? How?! _He shifted, trying to ease himself away from the hunter, but it made him rub onto Zero's jacket-covered stomach. He stifled a groan, and decided to stay completely still, trying to get his body to cool down.

Zero on the other hand, felt himself harden even more when Kaname accidentally rubbed against him. He bit his lip to keep himself from moaning. He hoped that his goggles covered his blushing face from the pureblood. _Oh God…_

They lay there together, under the snow, both of them too embarrassed to call out for help. About fifteen minutes later, the ski patrol arrived, and they swiftly dug the two teenagers out of the snow. By now, both hunter and pureblood were shivering, even though they had felt so hot just minutes ago.

One of the officials helped Kaname sit up, and he swiftly removed the goggles and hat from the youth's cold face. "You guys okay?" he asked, patting Kaname's face, his partner doing the same with Zero.

Kaname could only nod—his lips were too numb for him to say anything. The man nodded back and slowly helped Kaname off the ground and led him to his motor-ski. Kaname slowly climbed onto the contraption, and he closed his eyes as he and Zero were both led to the infirmary at the bottom of the mountain.

…

"Okay, boys, looks like we're here."

Kaname looked away from the window and at the silver-haired boy next to him. The two of them were taken back to St. Joseph's in a private car, for the nurses at the infirmary feared that being in a crowded bus right after a skiing accident wouldn't be good for them.

To everyone's amazement, Kaname and Zero weren't badly injured; Kaname had attained bruises but they healed before they had reached the infirmary, and Zero's bruises were so small that they didn't even give pain to the hunter.

Zero opened the door and stepped out, Kaname close behind him. Zero hadn't talked to the pureblood since the incident, for if he had, he would remember how he felt with the brunette under him, his hard-on grinding against Zero's stomach…

Zero clenched his fists, his face burning hot. _Why, oh why did he have to run into _Kaname _of all people? Oh, what luck he had._

Kaname noticed the sudden speed of the hunter's heartbeat, and he couldn't help but remember of the position they had landed in after their tumble down the mountain. Luckily, nobody but the ski patrol knew of exactly what happened—if Dan had found out, he would never let Kaname live it down.

Zero opened the door to the orphanage, and the second they stepped inside, Nancy emerged out of nowhere and embraced them in a desperate, panicky hug. "Oh my God, I'm so sorry!" She let go and stood on her toes, cupping Kaname's face in her hands. "Kaname, I totally forgot that you were new! I should've made you take classes, but—"She shook her head and moved on to Zero. "You both are so cold! Let's go the nurse's office!"

Before any of them could object, Nancy was already pulling them to the orphanage's infirmary. Kaname had never realized that there was an extra door in the main office which led to the infirmary. The room was long and white, like the rest of the orphanage. Two rows of beds were on both sides of the room, and there was a large ceiling-to-floor window on the left wall. Nancy quickly called a nurse over to inspect them, and she pushed each boy into a bed.

"Nancy, I'm okay, there's nothing wrong with me." Zero frowned when a nurse placed a warm, wet rag over his forehead. Nancy shook her head, her hands at her hips. "The both of you are staying here until your temperatures get back to normal."

Kaname winced on the inside. Great. Once again, he was somehow placed in a situation where Zero Kiryuu was involved. Now, there was really no point wishing to be away from Zero, for fate would always somehow put them together. He didn't like the squeal that rang across his mind again, but he couldn't ignore it. Nancy looked at him sympathetically, and she leaned down and placed a kiss on his cheek. "Good night, Kaname. Feel better, 'kay?"

She walked to Zero's bed and kissed his cheek as well. "Good night, Zero. I'm sorry." She stood and looked at the two teens. "I'll come back in an hour to check on you. You better not kill each other while I'm gone, you hear?" And with a smile, she exited the room, leaving the pureblood and the hunter at each other's mercy.

Kaname pressed his hand to his cheek. The kiss Nancy had given him reminded him of his mother. When he was a child, Juri would come to him every night and kiss him on the cheek, telling him how much she loved him. At this moment, Kaname felt an ache for his parents, and he willed himself not to tear up with the hunter just a few feet away from him. He swallowed and turned onto his side, facing away from the hunter. He couldn't pretend that he didn't feel aroused when Zero was on top of him. He felt disturbed that a man would cause him to feel this way. _What the hell?_

Kaname closed his eyes, trying to ignore the presence from behind him. He couldn't believe that Zero Kiryuu was completely alone with him! Now, he had to admit, that he had… some sort of crush on the hunter. It was extremely stupid, but Kaname knew that he couldn't lie to himself anymore. He barely even knew Zero, but he had always been a good people-reader, and he knew that Zero was honest, kind, gentle, beautiful… _Shut up!_

Kaname pressed his face into the pillow, desperately trying to get his thoughts under control. From the moment he saw the silver-haired Hunter, he was immediately entranced with him. And now he couldn't deny that he had felt a tiny bit of pleasure when Zero had landed on top of him during the accident. And plus…

Zero had felt it too. Kaname knew, because there was no doubt in his mind that the thing poking into his thigh was Zero's arousal. At this thought, Kaname relaxed just a little bit. He wasn't the only one who got turned on by the incident. He sighed quietly, and pulled the covers over his shoulders. Kaname was on the verge of falling asleep when a rough but gentle voice prevented him from doing so.

"Kuran?" Zero whispered, turning to face the pureblood's back. "You awake?"

Kaname squeezed his eyes tighter, hating the spike of thrill that ran down his spine at the sound of the hunter's voice. He wanted to pretend to be asleep, but he knew that the acceleration of his heartbeat would give it away. He reluctantly faced Zero, arranging his face so it would look cold and exhausted, and not hot and anxious.

"I am now," Kaname murmured, purposely making his eyes half-lidded to add to his act. He resisted the gasp that almost came out of his mouth when he took in the hunter's current form.

Zero was lying on the left side of his bed, so he could face Kaname. He looked tired as well, but his violet eyes were emanating with guilt and embarrassment. His silver hair splayed over the pillow, and the light from the window shone over him like a halo would over an angel.

_That's what Zero is_, Kaname thought. _An angel._

Zero gazed at the brown-haired vampire in wonder. The brunette looked even more beautiful under the white light from the clouds, and the way his long eyelashes created shadows over his cheeks made him think briefly of a sleeping angel. Zero did not allow his mind to think more of the other's beauty, though, for he realized that his face was starting to burn.

Zero cleared his throat and said, "What happened earlier was my fault. I was trying to ease to the right, but the skis slanted the other way, and you happened to be there and… yeah…" Zero blushed, looking away.

Kaname smiled tiredly. He thought Zero's awkwardness was kind of cute, even though he really didn't want to think that. "It's okay, we both didn't get hurt too much."

Zero nodded in agreement, realizing that he had just apologized to a _pureblood vampire._ Hunters were not supposed to do that to vampires, and vice versa. But somehow, Kuran was exempt from that. Zero saw the pureblood as an ordinary teenage boy, and not a blood-sucking demon who had probably taken the lives of many humans.

Kaname nodded back and turned away from Zero before the silence between them got awkward. He wanted sleep to make him stop thinking of the compelling boy for just a few hours. He closed his eyes once again and evened out his breaths, just so he could fall asleep faster. He was fully aware of the hunter's gaze on his back, and he didn't want his heart to accelerate like it had before.

Later, when sleep came for him, he embraced it with open arms.

…

The next day, school had started again, for the snow had stopped falling. Both the hunter and pureblood were left to sleep in the infirmary, for Nancy still believed that they were both in bad condition even though they clearly had warmed up during the night. The news of the accident had spread throughout the whole orphanage, much to both Kaname and Zero's dismay.

Kaname woke up around the time school was ending. He lay in bed for a while, almost going back to sleep when he noticed a familiar aura that was not so far away from him. He turned his head, and gasped silently. There, just a few feet away, was Zero Kiryuu, fast asleep on the bed opposite his. At this sight, Kaname remembered everything that happened the day before. He blushed as he recalled the accident which involved him and Zero, and he winced when he remembered how Zero had looked like last night, when he was apologizing to the pureblood.

_What a great start to the school year, _he thought sarcastically. He wanted to get up, but his limbs were too sore from their activities yesterday. Even though the field trip had ended badly, Kaname had to admit that he actually had… fun. Long ago, he had once believed that he could never find happiness after the death of his parents, but now… he wasn't back to normal, but he could find that it was easier for him to smile. He realized that running away from Ichiou was the greatest decision he had ever made in his life.

The door to the nurse's office opened, and Dan walked in, his lips spread in a grin. In his hands were two packets, which Kaname assumed was the day's homework.

"Hey," the lighter-haired boy greeted, dragging a chair next to Kaname's bed. "You feeling better?"

"I wasn't even injured, but Nancy locked us in anyway," Kaname answered, taking one of the packets from Dan. He flipped through it, finding that he wouldn't have any trouble working on it later that day. "Thank you," he said to Dan, who was staring at the boy on the other bed with a curious expression. He looked back at Kaname and shrugged.

"No problem. It's a gift for how well you did yesterday, even though you took a fall in the end." He looked at Zero again, then said, "I find it suspicious that Kiryuu was involved in the accident. I wonder…" He looked at Kaname's irritated expression, then burst into laughter.

Kaname sighed. He knew Dan would be this way once he found out, and there was really nothing he could do about it. He took a pencil from the nearest bedside table and started working on the packet.

"I got one for Kiryuu, too," Dan said, holding up the other packet. "I'm _that_ nice." He walked over to the bedside table closer to Zero's bed, and placed the packet on it before heading toward the door. "I gotta go. Have fun!" He snickered before shutting the door, dodging the pencil that was thrown at him.

Kaname groaned and got out another pencil, determined to get it done quickly so he could go back to sleep.

A few feet away, the silver-headed figure occupying the bed smiled in amusement, before sleep consumed him once again.

_Again, I apologize that it took almost a month for me to write this chapter, but I will try to get the chapters written as fast as I can so the waits won't be so long. Thanks for reading, and please review! ^-^_


	4. The Tournament

_Here is Chapter 4! *wipes forehead* …I hope you didn't forget about this story, but if you did, it's totally my fault because I'm such a slow—and lazy—writer. :( BUT I hope you all keep reading anyway. :)_

_I hope you all enjoy this chapter and please review! ^-^_

**Chapter Four: The Tournament**

It had been four days since Kaname escaped from the Ichijou manor. Takuma thought that he should be happy that his friend had left this horrible place, but he was far from happy. He was terrified, terrified of not knowing what his grandfather's intentions were. He was terrified of what his grandfather could _do _to his best friend, if he ever found him. He was terrified of his greatest fear coming to life: the fear of Ichiou taking Kaname's blood without Kaname's approval.

In the four days of his friend's absence, his grandfather hadn't talked to him since. This put the young noble even more on edge, for he couldn't tell if Ichiou was angry or not. But he was sure that he noticed that his pureblood ward was gone. Of course he would.

That night, Ichiou had returned a few hours after Kaname left. During dinner, he didn't even acknowledge Kaname's absence, or even Takuma's presence. But when Takuma was getting ready for bed, he heard his grandfather speaking with the guards in charge of guarding Kaname's room. Ichiou had sounded calm, but if he listened closely he could hear the rage concealed in his deep voice. That scared Takuma to no end.

And here he was now, in Kaname's room, staring at where the pureblood used to be just four days ago. Even though Takuma was glad—and scared—that Kaname had left, he missed his friend terribly. Without Kaname, everything had gone back to the way it used to be. There was no one to accompany him to their classes, no one to chat with during dinner, and no one to actually _be friends _with. There was nothing to look forward to now that Kaname was gone.

Takuma patted the spot beside him where he was sitting on Kaname's bed. Around this time, Kaname would already be getting ready for bed. And every night, Takuma would come over and say good night to him. He didn't remember a time when Kaname actually responded, but the pureblood would always nod and smile before closing his eyes and drifting off to sleep.

"Kaname…" Takuma whispered, smiling as he remembered those nights. _I hope you're safe now. _He sighed and stood up, heading for the door. He stopped in his tracks when he sensed a familiar presence behind the door.

"May I come in?" asked a familiar voice from outside.

Chills washed through Takuma's body, and he stiffened. "You may."

Ichiou opened the door and stepped inside. His gray eyes were cold and empty as he walked past Takuma and sat on Kaname's bed. "Sit down, Takuma."

Takuma nodded and sat in the lounge chair closest to Kaname's bed. He was scared, but he didn't dare show it to his grandfather. After four days of silence, they were finally speaking to each other. He stared at Ichiou, his green eyes full and determined.

Ichiou stared back with equal vigor, clenching his hands. "Kaname-sama has gone, as I'm sure you've noticed."

"Yes."

Ichiou glared at his grandson. "Do you have any idea where he could have gone?"

Takuma shook his head. "No, Grandfather."

"It will do you no good if you lie to me, Takuma," Ichiou said, his voice calm, but menacing. "Tell me where he is."

"I don't know!" Takuma snapped. "Why would he tell me anyway?"

Ichiou smirked. "Why, indeed?" he said to himself, before looking at Takuma again. "Even if you don't know, you could have helped him. Did you?"

Takuma instinctively flinched. _Damn it!_

Ichiou sighed. "I can't believe this, Takuma. You are my one and only heir. I saved you when your parents were killed. I took you in and raised you as my own. How dare you go against me! After all I've done for you…"

"Kaname hated it here," Takuma said. "He left because he was tired of your abuse! He was tired of being led around and—"

"I believe punishment is in order, Takuma," Ichiou interrupted. "We will find Kaname, that's for sure. Me, and the rest of the Council, are doing our best to find him. And when we do, he will pay severely. And as for you," Ichiou stood up and walked to the door. "You will stay in here and ponder about what exactly I will do to him."

"NO!" Takuma screamed, getting to the door but not before it was slammed shut and locked, leaving him and his fears inside.

…

Zero awoke to the feeling of bright light over him. His eyes were half-lidded as he took in his surroundings. There was no one in the infirmary besides him and Kaname.

_Kaname… _Zero turned his head and stared at the occupant of the bed across from his. Kaname was still asleep, with his covers pulled way over his head, covering his whole body. Zero smiled, remembering that pureblood vampires were more sensitive to bright light than any of the other vampires. He didn't know why, but he didn't feel as if this pureblood was among those who bit humans and turned them into slaves. He felt that this pureblood was similar to him, for they both lost their families at such an early age, and they were both left to take on the world on their own. He secretly praised Kaname for his courage and strength.

Zero sighed and sat up, remembering the reason why they were both in here in the first place. Truthfully, Zero had wanted to get a better look at Kaname while he was skiing down the hill, but he got closer than he expected. Zero blushed at that thought, cursing himself for having felt how he did towards a pureblood vampire. But then again, he thought Kaname was turned on as well, so he wasn't the only one. _Thank goodness…_

Zero stood up and started dressing, deciding to go to the cafeteria before returning to his own room. He didn't really feel comfortable being so close to a pureblood, and he felt that leaving now would avoid more awkwardness than leaving while Kaname was awake. Zero gathered his school things and headed for the door, giving himself one last look at the sleeping vampire before leaving.

Later, when Kaname woke up, it was already eleven o'clock and about fifteen minutes into lunch. He groaned and covered his eyes, wondering where all the time had gone. He sat up and looked at the other bed. Zero had left already, probably a few hours ago. Kaname frowned. _Well, what did you expect, Kuran? That he'd wake you up and take you out for breakfast? _Kaname blushed and grit his teeth. He shouldn't feel disappointed. He should feel relieved that the hunter was gone. The other night he'd embraced the fact that he had somewhat of a crush on Zero, but now that he was awake and more sensible, he thought that he was stupid for doing that. Even so, there was no point to liking Zero, because in the end Zero might actually hate him. Kaname sighed and clenched his fists. Today, he will not think of Zero as his crush, but a Vampire Hunter, a man who has probably killed many of his kind. That he was sure of.

Kaname stood up and got dressed, his mind set on getting his principles in order before heading to the cafeteria.

…

By the time Kaname got to the cafeteria, Dan and the others were already waiting for him at their table. He sat in between Dan and another boy, picked up his spoon and began to eat. He looked at the table to avoid the stares of the other boys, who were waiting anxiously for an explanation of what happened on the field trip.

Their table was silent for a few minutes as Kaname ate, before finally Dan asked, "So… how are you feeling?"

Kaname put his spoon down, finished now. "I'm fine, thank you."

Ryan cleared his throat. "I heard Kiryuu was in the accident, too. How did he get there?"

"Kiryuu ran into him when he was going down the hill," Dan answered. "And then they hit a tree or something. Right?" he asked Kaname.

Kaname nodded. "Yeah."

"Well, everyone's talking about it now," Ben said. "Four days here and you're already popular." And he was right. At that moment, the cafeteria went quiet. When Kaname looked around, everyone was staring at him… and Zero.

It took nearly everything for Kaname not to look at the silverette, and instead he laid his head on the table and closed his eyes, willing for everyone to disappear. Dan snapped at the others for being nosy before patting Kaname's back and carrying on the conversation without him.

Kaname groaned, his cheeks flushing. Everyone knew about what happened, and he was sure that the rumors and gossip wouldn't die until next week. He would have to live with it until then. Thinking about all that time gave him a headache.

"Kaname, you okay?" Dan asked, nudging him gently.

"No…" Kaname groaned again, clenching his eyes shut.

"Do you need to go to the infirmary again?"

Kaname shook his head and sat back up. "I'm fine."

"Well, if you're fine," Dan continued, "Today's Thursday, remember? The Chess Tournament takes place after school!"

"That's nice," Kaname mumbled, too annoyed to hold back his sarcasm.

Dan frowned. "Come on, I thought you said you liked playing Chess."

"Kiryuu's playing, too!" Ryan added.

Kaname glared at both of them before saying, "I don't feel like going." He didn't feel the enthusiasm he usually would feel at the sound of a chess game, and plus he already told himself that he didn't want to run into Zero again.

The boys booed him, and Kaname stood up to leave. Dan pulled him back down and said, "I already bet money on you, Kaname, and I'm not gonna waste it."

"Who said I was going?!" Kaname yelled, catching the attention of the other students once again.

Dan rolled his eyes, ignoring the extra gazes staring at their group. "Look, we all want to go because we wanna see you beat Kiryuu. Think about how cool that would be! And don't you want to face him?"

Kaname sighed and was about to sprint to the door when Zero suddenly appeared by their table. The lunchroom quieted again, and Kaname's heart accelerated as he and Zero stared at each other. Zero smiled and said, "What's wrong, Kuran? Too afraid to lose to me, a Hunter?" Zero was speaking in Japanese, in order to keep their conversation private.

"You won't want me to come, Kiryuu. Not if you value your pride as much as the other hunters do." Kaname was frowning as he said this; he didn't want to give Zero the wrong idea.

Zero smirked. "Oh, I value my pride, Kuran. But don't you think this will be interesting? Vampire Hunter versus Pureblood Vampire in chess. It actually sounds fun." He walked to the door and said, "I'll be looking for you," before walking out of the room.

Kaname tapped his chest gently, as if he could force his heart to quiet down. He couldn't believe it! Zero actually wanted him to come! He could not stop the butterflies from fluttering all over his insides, and he hated himself for that. This was exactly the reason why he didn't want to see or talk to Zero at all today. Why did Zero want him to go to the tournament so badly? It didn't make sense. And Kaname didn't even want to think about how Zero felt towards him ever since the skiing accident.

"What were you guys talking about?" Dan asked, his brown eyes alit with curiosity.

"I'll go to the Chess Tournament," Kaname muttered, clenching his fists.

"Ooh, so Kiryuu managed to convince you, eh?" Ryan said as he looked at Jessica—the girl who had unsuccessfully tried to ask Kaname out—'s table, making the girls giggle and whisper quite loudly.

Luckily for Kaname, the bell rang, and he was already out of the room before anyone had a chance to grab him. He walked to class looking calm and composed, but really no one could tell that his mind was going through emotional turmoil. He wanted to be able to be friends with Zero, but the way he was raised and educated prevented him from doing so. He hated not knowing what to do, and he hated that a hunter caused that.

Kaname stepped inside the classroom and headed directly to his seat in the back row. He thought he could feel Zero's violet eyes on him, so he kept his eyes averted so he wouldn't be distracted. He heard the footsteps of the other students entering, and he knew that they were all looking at him and Zero. When everyone was seated and class started, Kaname looked up, grateful that Zero had turned his attention to the front of the room.

Class went on painfully slow for Kaname, for when he tried to look at the chalkboard, his eyes would immediately slide over to the back of Zero's head, making him blush. He gripped the edge of the table tightly, willing himself not to break it in two. His desk mate looked at him with questionable eyes, but he just shook his head. He didn't have to go to the stupid Chess Tournament. But because he was a pureblood, he couldn't just walk out of a challenge, especially if a hunter was involved. He wanted to believe that it was his pride that made him decide to go the Tournament, and not that he wanted to go against Zero. He knew he was lying to himself, but at this point he didn't really care. Kaname sighed and let go of the table, deciding to just go along with whatever happens.

When the next class started, Kaname watched as Zero took his seat beside him. The hunter nodded at him, and he returned it, before they both turned their attention to the teacher at the front of the class. It was hard for Kaname to listen, for Zero's presence was _right there, _and whenever he paid mind to it, flashes of their accident flickered through his mind. Kaname took deep breaths, remembering the feeling of Zero landing on top of him, and hoped the hunter wouldn't notice.

Zero snuck a look at Kaname when he heard the other's labored breathing, and it didn't take too long for him to figure out what was causing the pureblood to act that way. Zero bit his lip to keep from smiling, feeling just a little guilty for being the cause of the vampire's distress.

Kaname was grateful when transition time came. He managed to not look at Zero as he went to his other seat, and he sighed in relief. He knew he had about two hours left of school, but now it was easier to think about his work without the compelling hunter sitting right next to him. So he sat back and listened, trying not to think about the upcoming Tournament just a few hours away.

…

"Kaname!" Dan called from behind him.

Kaname turned around, just about to head back to his room. "Yes?"

Dan frowned at him. "You said you were going to the Tournament!"

"I was going to drop my things off at the room first," Kaname said, sighing as Dan reminded him.

Dan grabbed his arm and pulled him out of the classroom. "No time for that. Everyone's gone now! They're all heading to the Tournament, and I want to get good seats."

"I thought you said only the nerds and geeks go there," Kaname said in horror after realizing that nearly everyone had left the classroom for the Tournament.

Dan laughed as they hurried through the hallway. "Well, we all wanna see the new guy go against Kiryuu. We've been waiting _forever _for someone to beat him! So don't let me down, okay?"

Kaname groaned. "You're too much, Dan."

Dan clasped his shoulder and grinned. "Don't worry too much about it. You're pretty smart; you can do this." He led Kaname to the library, and when they stepped inside, it looked a little different than it did the other day. The sofas were set in a circle surrounding one table in the middle of the room. On the table was a chessboard, with the black and white pieces set in the way they were supposed to. The sofas were nearly filled, and Dan took a spot before anyone else could. He pointed at another table standing outside the circle of sofas at the farthest side of the room and said, "Sign up over there and then take a seat."

Kaname nodded and went to the table, where a teacher was watching as some students lined up to sign the sign-up sheet. Kaname went to the back of the line, and from there he could see a silver head at the front of the line, signing in. He felt butterflies in his stomach again, but he quickly replaced those butterflies with strength and determination. He could do this. There was nothing to be afraid of. He was a pureblood vampire, dammit! He could do anything!

These words lingered in Kaname's mind as his turn came to sign up, and when he finished he joined Dan back on the sofa, waiting to see what would happen. Mostly every highschooler was there, and since there were not enough sofas some people had to stand to see what was going on. Ryan and the others soon came and stood behind Dan and Kaname, all of them excited and betting money behind the pureblood's back. Kaname involuntarily spotted Zero sitting beside his desk mate from first period, and he watched as she whispered something to him, causing the male to smile just a little bit. Kaname quickly looked away, listening in on Dan and Ryan's conversation.

When everyone was settled, the doors to the library opened and Nancy walked inside, smiling like she always was. She stood beside the chess table and took the sign-up sheet from the other teacher before saying, "Welcome to the weekly Chess Tournament, everyone! It's super nice to see more people here today, so thank you all for coming." She clapped a little bit before moving on. "Now, we'll start by arranging the matches, so sit back for a bit, 'kay?"

The noise level rose again, and Dan looked at Kaname. "I think she's gonna assign you someone to go against, and if you beat that person, then you'll have to face the winner of another match and so on."

Kaname nodded. "I see."

After a few minutes, Nancy cleared her throat and the room went quiet again. "Let's start! You all know that a few days ago, a new person came to the orphanage, so we'll let him be in the first match. First up, Kaname Kuran and Amanda Moore!"

At the sound of Kaname's name, Dan and his friends whooped, earning an irritated glance from Kaname before he stood up and went to the table. He took a seat on the side with the black pieces and waited for Amanda to sit across from him.

Nancy stood beside the table and smiled. "Alright, you guys know the rules. You… may… BEGIN!"

The room went totally silent, but with Kaname's sharp hearing he could hear the pounding of his opponent's heart just a few feet before him. In a chess match, whoever had the white pieces would go first, and Amanda looked at the board nervously, for she was going against the student who was just as smart as—or maybe even smarter than—Zero Kiryuu. Kaname smiled in encouragement, waiting patiently for her to make the first move. When she finally did, his mind began clicking, and as the match went on he repeatedly took out her pieces one-by-one, until finally, he checked her king.

"Checkmate," he announced, gently knocking the white king over. The match had only lasted three minutes. Amanda looked at him in astonishment before nodding and standing up.

Nancy started laughing and clapping. "The winner is Kaname Kuran! That was a very quick match! Kaname, you will be in the next round, but good job to both of you! Shake hands before going back to your seats."

Kaname smiled and shook Amanda's hand. "Good job."

Amanda blushed and took her hand away before responding with, "You too."

When Kaname went back to his seat, Dan didn't say anything for once; he just smiled and gave him a thumbs-up. Kaname nodded, feeling more at ease now that he was already finished with the first round.

The rest of the Tournament went on similarly but slowly, for no one was as fast as Kaname, except for Zero. When it was his turn, he beat his opponent quickly as well, but did it in five minutes instead of three. Once Nancy announced the time, the students oohed and looked at Kaname and Zero, all of them anxious for them to go against each other.

When Kaname went up again, he beat his opponent using a technique he learned from his father when he was a child, earning a surprised glance even from Zero. _One more round to go before it's Sudden Death. You can do this, Kuran._

It was sunset by the time Kaname went up for the third time. It surprised no one that he won again, but when Zero won his match as well, the whole room went tense with anticipation. Nancy stood before the table and looked at the sheet in her hands. "We're almost done! Our last two contestants going for the Sudden Death match are Kaname Kuran and Zero Kiryuu!" She motioned for them both to come up, and Kaname took his seat before the black pieces again, while Zero took the white pieces.

"Good luck, Kuran," Zero said, looking at Kaname straight in the eye.

"You need it more than I do," Kaname responded, earning them both a scolding from Nancy, telling them both to speak in English.

Zero smiled, apologizing before moving his first piece on the board. Kaname did the same, and immediately both their minds lit up with thinking and anticipation. Kaname expected Zero to be better than the other contestants he had faced, and he had been watching how Zero played whenever it was the other's turn to come up. They both took a little while to move their pieces, for they were both thinking and predicting what the opponent's next move would be. In the next fifteen minutes, the only pieces left on the board were both their kings and a few pawns from both sides. It was Kaname's turn now, and he slowly moved his king out of Zero's reach, biting the inside of his lip as he did. Zero moved his pawn forward and rested his head on the palm of his hand.

Kaname couldn't take it anymore. He was sure that the hunter could hear his heart pounding inside his chest, and he didn't want to think anymore. He decided to take Zero out with one last move, where he allowed one of his pawns to be lost, but in the end, he checked Zero's king. The sound of Zero's king hitting the board as Kaname knocked it over echoed throughout the room, and immediately the students began to clap and sigh, relieved that it was finally over.

Nancy clapped as well, before announcing, "Kaname Kuran is the winner of this week's Chess Tournament! Yay, good job to Kaname, to you, Zero, and to everyone who participated and came here!" She walked away to speak with the other teacher as Zero stood and held his hand out.

Kaname stood and took it, shaking it for the shortest second before letting go. "You did well, Kiryuu."

Zero smiled. "You too, Kuran. But watch out next time, for I _will_ beat you." And with that, he nodded and walked away, leaving Kaname breathless where he stood.

Kaname felt like he was covered in a blanket, shielding himself from the rest of the world. Every sound was muffled other than the sound of his head and heart pounding. Zero wanted him to come again. Did… did that mean? _No, he wants you to come back because he's a hunter and he can't stand losing to a vampire. He's not interested in you, and he never will be. _

Kaname went numb as he felt arms lifting him from the floor and carrying him to the cafeteria. He couldn't even make out what they were chanting, for he felt like his brain had short-circuited after he beat Zero. He didn't even bother to push anyone away as they set him down at their usual lunch table, clapping him on the back and hugging him without him knowing. He had spent a long time sitting in front of Zero, staring at Zero, anticipating Zero's actions, and paying attention only to Zero. He felt like exploding as he relived the match, remembering all the smirks and frowns Zero gave him, and the hand that had taken his just a few minutes ago.

Finally, Kaname snapped out of his stupor and he found himself being stared at by Dan and a whole bunch of other students who had come to join him at the table. Dan was waving a hand at his face, asking, "You alright?" over and over again.

Kaname exhaled and nodded, saying, "I'm just tired."

Dan nodded and patted his shoulder. "I'm proud of you, bro. Plus, I got twenty bucks!" He grinned at Ben, who was glaring at him.

Dinner was a blur to Kaname. Conversations were all around him, but he barely heard any of them. He didn't even remember eating his food, or how he managed to get up to his room. But when he did, he collapsed onto his bed, closed his eyes and would have fallen asleep on the spot if it weren't for Nancy coming in.

"Is he already asleep?" Kaname heard her ask Dan as she stood by his bed.

Kaname slowly sat up and shook his head. Nancy smiled and smoothed out his perfect brown locks and sat down next to him, giving Kaname a view of the silver-haired teen standing awkwardly in front of the bedroom door. Kaname nearly choked, but he quickly controlled himself from doing so.

Nancy squealed and clapped her hands together. "I wanted to congratulate you once more, Kaname, by letting you go on a little field trip! We've never had so many people come to the Chess Tournament, and because of you they're all probably going to come next week!" She hopped where she was sitting and then pulled something out from her pocket. "I talked it over with the other caretakers, and we agreed that both finalists should get a prize this time, because today's Tournament was really interesting." She handed ten bucks to both Kaname and Zero, giggling as she did. "You both could go have a walk around town, but you have to be back before midnight. I wanted to join you, but I have so much work to do." She sighed. "But, I'm gonna trust that you'll both be responsible adults about this, right? No bars, no smoking, no clubs, none of that! And," she added, with a glimmer in her eyes, "if any of you try to run away, I'll let out your secrets."

Kaname blanched, and Zero stiffened. Kaname had no reason to run away—he liked it here at St. Joseph's, but he would make sure that Zero wouldn't try anything of the sort. If Ichiou were to find out he was here, then all hell would break loose. And he would not let Ichiou harm anyone here, even if he were to die for it.

"We won't," Zero finally said, stuffing the cash in his jacket pocket.

Nancy nodded. "Good. Daniel, would you like to come along?"

Dan shook his head. "Nah, I have homework to do. And I think Kaname would like it if it were just him and Kiryuu anyway." He snickered, ignoring the death-glare Kaname was giving him.

"Okay, then." Nancy stood up and took Kaname's jacket and handed it to him. "Have fun, you two! And remember, don't do anything stupid!" And with that, she waltzed out the door, her laughs ringing across the hallway and into their bedroom.

Kaname glared at Dan. "Did you set this up?"

Dan waved his hands around. "No, it was totally Nancy's idea! I had nothing to do with this, honest!"

Zero smiled for a second before putting his expression back in order. "Let's just go, Kuran. She already gave us the money."

Kaname followed Zero out of the bedroom, and Dan got up and said, "Have fun on your date!" before closing the door.

Kaname spun around and was about to break the door open when Zero, laughing, grabbed his arm and pulled him through the hallway, down the stairs, and out the front doors.

…

Zero was still laughing by the time they reached the town, and Kaname had half a mind to keep the money and go back to the orphanage when the hunter suddenly stopped walking. Kaname looked at him questioningly, and was surprised when he saw that Zero's lips were spread into a wide, beautiful smile. Kaname couldn't help but forget his irritation when he saw Zero like this, looking really ecstatic and… happy.

Finally, Zero shoved his hands in his pockets and looked at the ground. "So… where do you want to go?" Kaname never thought it before, but now that they were alone, it thrilled him that Zero would speak to him and him only in his mother language every time they spoke to each other. He shivered, and not because it was cold.

"I don't really know any places around here, so I'm just following you," Kaname answered, looking away as he did.

Zero nodded and lifted his left arm to look at his watch. "Alright, we just have to make sure we head back before midnight. Nancy will be waiting for us at the doors."

Kaname chuckled. "Really?"

"Yeah. She's always like that." They walked a few feet forward, and Kaname recognized the roundabout where the bus had taken him four days ago. There weren't many cars on the road, and the streetlights were lit up. He loved how clearly he could see the mountains behind all the shops and trees, even though it was nighttime. As they passed a few shops, Kaname glanced quickly at each of their windows, wondering if he should buy Nancy something for her help. He couldn't believe that he was actually _alone with Zero! _Even though this morning he had said he would distance himself from the hunter, apparently the fates would just throw the two of them together anyway.

Kaname smiled at that thought before asking, "Where are we going?"

Zero shrugged. "I'm thinking about getting some crepes. Is that okay with you?"

Kaname nodded. "Sure." _Crepes with Zero! _His mind squealed, and it surprised him so much that he almost ran into the hunter. He quickly organized himself before walking again, his long hair covering the blush on his face.

They walked farther until they came across a little area with tables and chairs surrounding a mini bonfire. A little behind the eating space, was a stand with a sign which read _Crepes a la Carte._ There was a couple standing in line; they wouldn't have to wait too long. Kaname and Zero both got in line, and Zero pointed at the sign right beside them. It had a list of all the different crepes you could order, and what fillings you could put in them.

"What are you getting?" Kaname asked Zero as he examined the sign.

"Raspberry Chocolate Cream," Zero answered. "You?"

Kaname looked at the sign again, reading through all the different choices and what were inside them. "Berry Swirl."

Zero smiled. "That one's pretty good."

They stepped up and ordered their crepes, paying with their bills and getting back the right amount of change. While they were waiting, Zero suggested that they sit at one of the tables closer to the bonfire, and Kaname agreed. They sat in silence for a bit, not knowing what to say, for everything that happened that day was like a distant memory. To not look awkward, Zero held his hands toward the bonfire, warming them up. Kaname did the same, for he couldn't stop shivering.

"Are you okay here?" Zero asked of all a sudden.

"Hmm?" Kaname said, startled by the sudden question.

"I mean, you said you ran away, right? It must be pretty hard to have to adjust to a new home so quickly." Zero looked at him as he said this, and Kaname could tell from his eyes that he was actually concerned about the pureblood.

Kaname shrugged. "I think I'm fine. I feel really comfortable here. Dan, Nancy… they all treat me as an equal. I don't have to worry about saying the wrong things, or about the Council breathing down my neck. I love it here." Kaname smiled weakly; reminding himself of how lonely he was before he came across this orphanage.

Zero smiled back. "That's good. Oh, our crepes are done." He stood up and went to the cart to receive them before coming back and setting Kaname's plate in front of him. "Be careful, the berry syrup could be really drippy."

"Thanks." Kaname took a bite out of it, savoring the mixture of sweet and sour on his tongue. "It's delicious," he said, before taking another bite.

"Yeah. They're really good at making these," Zero said.

Kaname was halfway finished with his, and he dabbed his mouth with a napkin. "Should we head back after this?" He didn't want to leave, but he was getting pretty tired.

Zero nodded. "Sure." They both finished eating and cleaned up before heading back to the orphanage. It was almost midnight, so most of the shops were closing, except for the few that were opened 24 hours a day. One shop in particular caught Kaname's eye, making him stop walking. Zero stopped as well, raising an eyebrow. "What is it?"

"I'm going to buy something for Nancy," Kaname responded before opening the door and entering. Breckinridge was a town that had many tourist attractions, so many of its shops were souvenir shops. Kaname looked around for a bit, mindlessly going through the refrigerator magnets and posters of Breckinridge and the beautiful mountains that resided in it. On one shelf there were cute little bracelets that had random words on them, like "love", "happiness", and "beauty". Kaname took hold of the one that had "happiness" on it, reminding him of the way Nancy always smiled. He showed it to Zero, who was standing behind him. "What do you think?"

Zero smiled. "It's nice. It describes her perfectly." Kaname paid for the bracelet, and then they were on their way back home. It was pretty dark, but they could still see where they were going. They didn't talk about anything, for they didn't think there was anything more to say. Even though they were having an awkward moment, Kaname enjoyed his evening. He got to see more of Zero than he ever did before in his time here. Now he was glad that he had gone to the Chess Tournament. He reminded himself to thank Dan later… or maybe not.

When they reached the orphanage, Nancy was waiting by the door, like Zero said she would. She smiled as they approached her. "You're here! And you both look okay!" The three of them walked inside, where most of the lights were turned off. "Everyone's sleeping," Nancy explained. "So be quiet when you go upstairs."

"Do you want your money back?" Zero asked, digging in his pockets for it.

Nancy waved her hands. "No, it's for you! Think of it like a cash prize." She was about to walk out of the lobby when Kaname called her. "What is it?"

Kaname handed her the tiny baggy from the shop. "It's for you."

Nancy gasped and looked inside. "Oh my gosh, it's so cute! Thank you!" She took the bracelet out and examined it closely. "Aww, you didn't have to, Kaname!"

Kaname shook his head. "I did. Thank you for accepting me here, Nancy. I'm very happy to be here."

Nancy hugged him tightly, saying, "No, thank _you _for being here. I'm so glad that you're happy." She let go and wished them both good night before rushing to her room, already trying to place the bracelet on her wrist.

Kaname looked at Zero, who was grinning, and they both silently walked to the foyer and up the stairs to the boys' dormitory. Once they reached the hallway, Zero glanced at Kaname, who was starting to feel awkward again.

"I had fun tonight. We should go again sometime," he said, admiring how Kaname sometimes acted shy around him.

"Yes, we should," Kaname agreed. _He wants to go again!_

Zero nodded. "Well, good night." He smiled once again before walking to his room.

Kaname was about to do the same when a sudden thought reached him. He turned around and called out, "Wait!"

Zero looked back. "Yes?"

Kaname blushed, wondering if he should ask or not. He never felt so unsettled before, and he wished that he could act like his normal self around the hunter. "Never mind."

"Tell me," Zero said, walking closer.

Kaname gasped softly as Zero stood before him once again. He felt stupid and childish, and he wished he had just gone back to his room like he should have. "Instead of Kiryuu, c-can I call you Zero?"

Zero's violet eyes glinted at the sound of that. He chuckled and said, "Only if you let me call you Kaname."

_He said my name! _Kaname regained his composure. "Of course. Good night, Zero."

"You too, Kaname."

Without looking back at Zero, Kaname headed for his room. He opened the door and shut it softly, for Dan was already sleeping. Kaname hung his jacket up and changed into his pajamas before getting into bed. He buried himself inside his covers and stared at the ceiling, thinking of Zero. He replayed all the images of tonight over and over again and even dreamt of them as he fell asleep, a small smile plastered on his face.


	5. Close Call

_Here's Chapter Five! Hope you all enjoy. :)_

_Oh, and review please! ^-^_

**Chapter Five: Close Call**

Zero groaned as he slammed his alarm clock several times, trying to aim for the snooze button. He had gone to bed pretty late, like at about two in the morning. After his and Kaname's "date", he found that he couldn't go to sleep as easily as he wanted to. Though his body was physically exhausted due to the Chess Tournament and the walk around town, his mind and soul was emotionally hyper and active. He had lain in his bed for about three hours, thinking about his night over and over again. He felt that he got to see a whole new side of the mysterious pureblood; the playful, shy, and vulnerable side of him. Zero was thrilled that he actually got to see Kaname acting like… like a normal teenager.

But Kaname was anything but normal—Zero knew that. He had to admit that though the other was—supposed to be—his hated enemy, he felt a little bit of joy at seeing Kaname being himself last night. He remembered how Kaname had looked when he had first laid eyes on him: tired, hopeless, and lonely. But now, every time Zero saw him he always looked happier, like he finally belonged. Kaname was being honest when he revealed to Zero how he felt about St. Joseph's and everyone there. _He had even asked to call me by my first name…_

Zero jerked awake, his lavender eyes opened wide and the alarm clock smashed to pieces on his bedside table. He groaned and buried his face in his pillow, cursing his strength as a Hunter, even though it was his most valuable characteristic. _Nancy is _not _going to be happy when she finds out that I broke a 20__th__ alarm clock…_

Zero hated Friday mornings, even though they signified the end of the school week. He hated them because he'd have to wake up a whole hour earlier just so he could reach the Hunter's Association in time to get ahold of his beloved gun, Bloody Rose. Even though it was a machine designed to kill vampires, it was the one thing that truly reminded him of his family who had been cruelly taken from him so many years ago. His Japanese master, Toga Yagari, had owned the gun while he was teaching Zero and his younger twin brother, Ichiru, and Zero had always had a liking towards it. After his family's death and his stationing at the HA branch in Colorado, Yagari-sensei had given the gun to him as a gift and reminder of his old friends and family back at home. Zero had wanted to keep it with him at all times, but of course the orphanage wouldn't allow it, so he had decided to keep the gun at the HA branch where he knew it would be watched over properly.

Zero clenched his eyes shut and tried to push the painful memories away. Though he missed them so much, Mother, Father, and Ichiru were never coming back. Though he had somewhat of a nice, happy life here at St. Joseph's, he would never again feel the loving embrace of his mother's arms, or the powerful, proud pat on the back of his father's strong hands. He would never see his kid brother grow up to become stronger like Zero had always hoped he would. Ichiru had been born a weak child, and ever since he and Zero were little Zero would always try and make his little brother strong enough to live through the next day. But Ichiru was dead, and Zero would be painfully reminded of that every time he looked in the mirror.

Zero bit his lip and cursed, trying to keep his tears and feelings at bay. He could not cry. He didn't deserve to cry, after what had happened to his family.

After a few moments of empty thinking, Zero sat up and got out of bed. He was already almost late, so he skipped showering and brushed his teeth before changing into a light shirt and jeans and a coat before heading out the door. He walked down the hallway slowly, and before he reached the staircase, he found himself standing before a room with a very familiar aura emanating from it.

_This must be Kaname's room, _he thought, and he inhaled the powerful and compelling scent wafting from the tiny space under the door. Kaname seemed to be asleep, and that reminded Zero of the day they spent together in the infirmary after the accident. Zero had to admit that even though Kaname was a guy, he was still very beautiful, even in his sleep. He thought again about last night, and wondered about how Kaname had suffered somewhat of the same thing that Zero had. They were both left to take the challenges of the world alone, without the help of family and loved ones. He told himself that he only felt for the pureblood the way he did because of how similar they both had suffered. With that thought, he believed that he wasn't entirely alone. Zero smiled faintly before stepping back and rushing down the stairs, forcing Kaname out of his mind completely.

He found Nancy at her desk in the lobby, typing away at her computer with a serious expression. At the sight of Zero at the door, she smiled and asked, "You off to the Association?"

Zero nodded and made his way to the door when Nancy frowned at said, "You didn't have breakfast yet!"

Zero groaned quietly and faced her. "I'll eat over there, Nancy. I'm already late."

Nancy sighed and continued typing. "Be back before lunch."

Zero smiled and nodded, opening the door and inviting himself into the cool November air. He didn't want to tell Nancy about the broken alarm clock yet. It was too early in the morning for another one of her lectures. It was seven o'clock, so the sun was still climbing up the horizon, leaving the town of Breckinridge a little dim under the thick snow clouds in the sky. Zero inhaled and began sprinting in the direction of the Hunter's Association, warming his body up even though it was pretty cold.

The Hunter Association's Breckinridge branch was so well hidden that no one other than the Hunters who worked there had ever seen it before. It was in the middle of a forest that was close to one of the few high schools in the tiny town. A decade ago, the forest had been pronounced off-limits to everyone after a bear attack on a hiking trip, thus giving the Hunter's Association the perfect opportunity to set up a branch in the town. It usually took Zero ten minutes to get there on foot, but today with all the snow it had taken him an extra five minutes just to clear the few blocks closest to the orphanage.

He was panting when he opened the door to the HA, his pale cheeks graced with red from running and the bitter cold. There was nobody in the small lobby, for everyone had already headed to the training grounds. Zero groaned and opened the door to the hallway, where he walked until he was outside again, this time in the training field. Fifteen hunters were lined up a few feet apart, all of them with guns in their hands and aiming at targets that were set up about 50 feet away from where they were standing behind the stone ledges which surrounded the large field. Zero hurriedly made his way to where the guns were kept and grabbed hold of the Bloody Rose. Without thinking, he caressed it, taking in the scent of lavender and the cool touch of the metal against his freezing cold skin. _Mother, Father, Ichiru… I fight for you._

"Zero! What took you so long?" Zero turned and found Matt Randolph, one of his teammates, reloading a gun and glaring at him through thick-framed glasses.

"Woke up late," Zero muttered, taking up a spot next to Matt before aiming and firing a bullet right at the center of the target that was the farthest away. All the Hunters on the field stopped to stare at him, mouths agape and guns at an uneasy position.

Matt smoothed his black hair back before aiming and firing at the same target, marking the outer edge of the cardboard circle. He groaned and said to Zero, "I hate you sometimes, you know?"

Zero ignored him and fired again, marking the center of another target that still very far away from them all. He had met Matt on his first day at the branch, and they had become good friends ever since. Sure, Matt had always groaned about Zero's skills and complained about him being too good for this branch, but Zero felt that Matt was a person who was truly honest and could be trusted with anything. He felt the other's eyes on him as he made five more shots, all perfectly aimed and always in the center.

Matt scoffed and took a swig out of his water bottle before shivering and setting his gun down on the stone ledge. "So… how's school going?"

"It's been the same since I got here," Zero replied, reloading.

Matt nodded. "I always felt like that when I was in school. But I wasn't a freaking super genius like you. I actually had to study my ass off to get where I am now."

"I study," Zero said in defense, smiling a little bit.

"Yeah, right," Matt said, firing at another target and missing. By a lot. He eyed his gun in frustration before looking at Zero with honest concern in his brown eyes. "How are you feeling? I heard you got in a ski accident—"

Zero rolled his eyes at him. "I'm a Hunter, Matt. I was barely bruised."

"Right, right," Matt said, looking at him disapprovingly before saying, "And who was the shithead who ran into you?"

Zero felt a tiny flare of anger well up inside him, remembering last night and the day at the infirmary and the Chess Tournament. "I ran into him," he unthinkingly snapped back. He flushed a little, unused to being angry and defensive for someone else.

Matt raised his hands in defense, his mouth opened and about to say something when suddenly a hush took over the field. The two of them turned around to find the branch's commanding officer, Jack Thorne, glaring at them with his arms crossed. At first Zero thought that he and Matt were in for a scolding, but after seeing Officer Thorne give his look to the other Hunters, he knew something else was up.

"We received a message from the leading HA this morning, the one in Japan," he announced, once everyone had acknowledged his presence. "Kaname Kuran has escaped from the guardianship of one of the leading members of the Council, Asato Ichijou."

Whispers and conversation rose up on either side of Zero, who was frozen, and not because it was cold out. After everyone had settled down, Officer Thorne continued. "We also know that this particular pureblood has gone mad."

Zero gasped very quietly. _Mad? Well, that's a lie. Kaname doesn't seem mad at all! If anything, he's the smartest guy in this city! _Rage fumed within Zero as he remembered Kaname's story of abuse at this Ichijou guy's place. Of course the Council Elder would form such a lie to get his ward back as quickly as possible. _Poor Kaname…_

"So obviously," Officer Thorne went on, "we all have to keep an eye out for this vampire. If he really has gone mad, then he has the power to destroy an entire city if we aren't there to stop him."

"Does anyone know where he is?" someone asked, fear leaking through their voice.

Officer Thorne frowned at that question. "That's the problem, son. No one knows where he is or what he's planning. He's left no trace after running away. But don't worry too much. There is a one percent chance that he would actually be in this town." Some people sighed in relief at that, but Zero remained frowning.

"But still, if anyone chances to see him here, or anywhere, you will apprehend him and bring him to this building. You will not kill him, ya hear? _You will not kill him._"

Groans emanated from their tiny audience, and Zero had half a mind to just scream at them all, but realized at the last second that that wasn't going to help him at all. So he kept silent, pure anger and hatred burning within his violet eyes. He nearly exploded when Matt asked, "Why can't we?"

Officer Thorne frowned and sighed. "Killing the most important vampire in the world will surely lead to a war between the Council and the Hunter's Association. The President has strictly said that our only job, if we find him, is to lock him up and keep him in place until the Council Elders come and get him. So again, you will _not _kill Kaname Kuran, if ever you see him here. Do I make myself clear?" he yelled.

"Yes!" the hunters yelled back, all except for Zero. He was deep in thought; his usual neutral expression was set into a grim, dark one.

"_Are you okay here?" _Zero had asked Kaname last night.

"_I think I'm fine. I feel really comfortable here. Dan, Nancy… they all treat me as an equal. I don't have to worry about saying the wrong things, or about the Council breathing down my neck._

"_I love it here."_

Zero looked around, at his commanding officer, at his teammates, at Matt. He could see that they all were thinking of the same thing: to capture Kaname Kuran. Zero wanted so badly to explain Kaname's story to them, but that would only lead to Kaname being in more danger. He couldn't believe that the poor pureblood had only been here a week, and now he was in danger of the Council's abuse again. He was torn between wanting to help his team out by disclosing Kaname's location to them and wanting to let Kaname have his chance of happiness. _What to do…_

Though Zero was a Hunter, he did have a heart. He had suffered so much in his measly 17 years of life, and living here had made him believe that he actually could be happy with his life even though he had no more family. Meeting Kaname had reminded him of how he had been after his loss: lonely and hopeless. And seeing Kaname getting used to having friends and a high school life reminded him of how Zero had slowly gotten better and better as he grew accustomed to life at St. Joseph's. Though he was supposed to hate the vampire and should turn him in, he didn't want to be the one who would ruin his happiness.

_I won't do it._

…

Kaname stared longingly at his bedroom door, silently wishing that the Hunter would poke his silver head inside and speak to him. He had slept very contentedly last night, dreaming of the "date" he and Zero shared. He felt that the two of them had brought down a new wall, the one blocking them from becoming friends, or maybe even something more. Kaname blushed at that thought and laid back down, staring at the ceiling. He had never been up this early before, and he suddenly realized that he was changing so much while he was here at St. Joseph's. Now he lived through the day and slept at night, he knew how to ski, he had tasted crepes, and he had met many people who he could easily talk to, for they weren't afraid of him and vice versa.

And he might even _like _someone. He knew that it was wrong for him to fall for a Hunter—or even a man, at that—so wrong that it felt so right.

Right now, Kaname was itching to see the Hunter; to see if Zero would act closer to him now after their night together. He wanted to hear Zero say his name, and of course he wanted to call Zero by his name in return. He lay there for a while, still staring at the bedroom door as if Zero was still standing there. He wondered why the Hunter had gotten up so early, and he couldn't help but think that Zero had wanted to talk to him, but changed his mind on the way. Kaname blushed furiously, pulling the covers over his torso and providing himself some warmth.

Dan woke up a little while later to the sounds of heavy breathing and the constant shuffling of the covers on the other bed. He opened his eyes, revealing to him the bright light of the early morning. It was normal for Dan to wake up early, but it was _not _normal for him to see his roommate buried under his covers with his eyes wide open and staring at the door as if something—or someone—was standing there. Dan sat up slowly and quietly said, "Kaname?"

Kaname jerked in surprise at the sound of Dan's voice, for he had totally forgotten of the other's existence for a few minutes. He looked to his right and found Dan's dark brown eyes staring at him in surprise, as if he had grown an extra head or something.

"You okay?" Dan asked, uneasily switching his gaze to the door.

Kaname was a little groggy, so it took him a while to process what the other was saying. He nodded and looked away, bracing himself for the questions and taunting that were bound to follow Dan's innocent inquiries.

To Kaname's surprise and satisfaction, Dan didn't say anything more. His roommate smiled gently before getting out of bed and digging in his drawers, already starting the day. Kaname again remembered how early it still was, and asked Dan, "Where are you going?"

Dan gathered some clothes in his arms before standing again, replying with, "The cafeteria. Want some breakfast? You're never awake in time for it."

Kaname thought for a bit and realized that he might get to see Zero earlier than he thought. He nodded at Dan and got up to get ready as well, trying not to seem so excited.

Later, with the both of them washed and dressed, Kaname and Dan headed down to the cafeteria where they met up with Ryan, Ben, and the other boys at their usual table. The others were also surprised at Kaname's sudden appearance for breakfast, but their meal went on in the same way that it usually would. When Kaname looked around for Zero, he was disappointed to find that the silverette was nowhere in the lunchroom. But as he looked he realized that the cafeteria was unusually less crowded than it usually was, and Ryan noticed this and said, "The elementary students are getting ready to get interviewed."

"No way! Someone's going to adopt?" Dan asked, his excitement just a cover up for the disappointment Kaname saw in his dark brown eyes.

Ryan nodded. "Yeah, a couple, but they're only interested in the little kids." At this, Kaname noticed how the whole group looked a little down, and he sympathized for them. He realized that under all the skater boy/rocker personas, they were all really just teenage boys looking for a family of their own.

The table was silent for a while, and Kaname decided to try and start a conversation, another thing about him that changed since he got here. "Have you ever been interviewed?" he asked Dan, who was poking his eggs with his fork.

Dan sighed and said, "Yeah, like one or two times when I was a kid. Never got picked though," he muttered.

"Parents typically want younger kids, since teenagers are hard to deal with," Ben added.

Kaname nodded and apprehensively put his hand on Dan's shoulder. "I'm sure you'll find a family." He looked around the table before adding, "All of you."

Dan tensed a bit at the touch, but he smiled the usual Dan smile and said, "Thanks, man. I bet you will, too."

Kaname released Dan's shoulder, smiling back. He told himself that someday, when the Council was destroyed and he took his rightful place as the leader of the vampire race, he would see to it that these boys and the rest of the orphanage's children would get the family they wanted. Though he only knew them for a week, he believed that they all deserved some measure of happiness and family, for inside they were all just lonely children.

Their table had become quiet again, but this time it was a companionable, comfortable silence, for they all felt some comfort at Kaname's words. The silence was quickly broken when Dan asked Kaname, "How did you become an orphan?" and suddenly everyone's eyes were on him, making Kaname think that they had all been waiting to ask Kaname that question.

Kaname didn't really feel comfortable telling them, for back at home mostly everyone knew of how his parents had died. But now, it felt weird to be relaying an emotional story to his friends. He sighed and said, "My parents were murdered when I was 13 years old, and for three years I was sent to live with a… a foster family." After saying this, he realized that these six boys were now the only ones who knew how his parents truly died, for all the vampire world believed Ichiou's story that they had committed suicide.

Nevertheless, Kaname continued. "I hated living there. The one in charge of me would never forget to remind me how useless I was, and every day with him was a living hell. So I finally complained and was sent here." He felt bad for lying to them, but of course he had to. He gazed sadly at his breakfast, not wanting to eat anymore.

Dan patted his back, startling Kaname a little. "I'm sorry," he said, rubbing Kaname's back a little before pulling away. "How do you like it here?"

At this inquiry, Kaname grinned. "I love it here."

The atmosphere at their table lightened up after this, and Kaname was glad to see everyone back to their usual selves again. After they all finished eating, they headed to the library since they still had a few hours before lunch started. Kaname settled into the sofa happily, more relaxed than he had ever been. The elementary students were either at school or interviewing, and now he actually had room to breathe. He decided to wake up early more often now. After a few minutes of sitting down, Kaname realized that the group had gone quiet again. He looked up at their faces, surprised to see them all staring at him and Dan, and he groaned silently.

"So," Dan said, taking the Connect Four box from one of the bookshelves and setting it on the table. "How was your date with Kiryuu?"

Kaname blushed furiously. Dan didn't ask him about his date earlier, when they were alone, because he wanted everyone else to know about it. He was _so_ going to kill Dan for this later.

"What date with Kiryuu?" Ryan asked. Kaname swore he could hear the twisted thoughts running through the other's head and that short span of time.

"Tell 'em, Kaname." Dan cleared his throat to keep his laughter at bay as began to set up the game.

Kaname groaned. "It wasn't a date."

"So what was it?" Ben demanded at once, leaning forward in his seat. They were all staring at him anxiously, and Kaname had to compare them to a group of 13-year old girls on Valentine's Day.

Kaname rolled his eyes before saying, "Nancy wanted to treat us to something for getting more people to come to the Chess Tournament, so she gave both of us money to walk around town for a bit."

"And what did you _do_ in town?" Dan had finished preparing the game and was now pitching in to the conversation, much to Kaname's dismay.

Kaname sighed. Of course Dan and the others would be this way when they found out. "We bought crepes and a bracelet for Nancy. That's it."

"Awwww," they all said as if on cue. Kaname stood to get up but was immediately pulled back down by Dan and Ryan, who were both rumbling with laughter.

"I swear, if any of you lets this out—"

"Come on, Kaname what do you take us for?" Dan interrupted him, still chuckling. "We won't let this out. Right, guys?"

"Sure," Ben muttered, elbowing the guy next to him suggestively.

Kaname groaned, blushing like there was no tomorrow. The boys began to poke fun at him again, but more quietly this time. He decided on staring out the window and ignoring them until lunch came and saved him, when suddenly the group became quiet again. _What now? _He looked up at Dan, who was looking at the entrance to the library. Kaname followed Dan's gaze, and his heart almost leapt out of his chest as he took in what he saw.

Zero was standing just a few feet from where they were sitting, his cheeks lit up with red from the cold, and his beautiful violet eyes wide in worry as he stared back at Kaname. It seemed like he was having a fight with himself, and his light eyebrows were furrowed in frustration before he arranged his expression to that of a calm one. Kaname wanted to go up and ask him what was wrong, but he didn't want to in front of all the students. Dan and the group were the only ones—so far—who knew about Kaname and Zero's date, and he really didn't want the other students to know about it as well. So when he made sure that Dan or anyone wasn't looking, Kaname smiled at Zero, trying to let him know if he could be of any help.

Zero took a breath when he saw that Kaname was smiling at him. On the way back to the orphanage, he had thought that he'd decided what he was going to do with what Officer Thorne had told him earlier, but now when was seeing Kaname face-to-face, he realized that it was hard to just push away his Hunter instincts when he had them all his life. He didn't want to turn Kaname in to the HA, but seeing Kaname in front of him made his Hunter instincts kick in, trying to get him to destroy the vampire before him. Zero gave Kaname a tiny smile before taking a seat in a sofa far away from Kaname's group. He needed to tell Kaname the news, but he couldn't with all those people around and when his instincts were screaming at him to apprehend the other. He decided that he would get himself in order before doing so, and hoped that Kaname would understand.

Kaname felt a twinge of disappointment when Zero sat away from him, but he told himself that the Hunter was probably tired and didn't really feel like talking to anyone. As he stared at the Hunter, he unconsciously took all the littlest details about him into notice: the way his clothes shifted over his body as the silverette fidgeted, how his red cheeks had cooled down to its normal paleness, how his silver hair glimmered in the white light from the window, how his violet eyes were so set they could you suck you in, how he always smelled like lavender… and gunpowder?

Kaname frowned and concentrated on only Zero's scent. He smelled the faint gas-like, ashy, powdery smell of the kind of gunpowder that could only belong to an Anti-Vampire weapon; a Hunter's weapon. _That's why Zero wasn't here during breakfast, _Kaname realized. _He was training at the Association. _This realization rammed into Kaname like a boulder. Though Zero might/sort of/probably like him, it all came down to the fact that Zero was a hunter and Kaname was the pureblood prince of vampires. Their history had made their two races become natural enemies, and it was unthinkable for a pureblood to take a liking to a hunter. Kaname was saddened by that thought. When he looked at Zero again, he was surprised to find the other's violet eyes on him, still sporting that look of worry. _What's wrong, Zero?_

Before Kaname could observe Zero a little more, the lunch bell rang. Without looking once at Kaname, Zero rushed out of the library and into the lunchroom. Kaname felt a hand on his shoulder, and with a start he remembered his companions whom he had been talking to just a minute ago. Kaname turned to Dan and regretted it instantly, for the other had his lips set in a smirk and a weird look in his eye.

"Shut up, Dan." Kaname stood up to leave, his embarrassment making him ignore the fact that Dan hadn't said anything. Dan stood up as well, laughing as he flung an arm against the pureblood's shoulders and said loudly, "Try harder, Kaname!" With that and the laughter and half-hearted motivational remarks from the other boys, all of them headed to lunch with high spirits except for Kaname. When they sat at their table, Kaname noticed that Zero had chosen a table at the far end of the room with his back facing Kaname.

_Is Zero avoiding me? _Kaname's heart sank at this thought, and it was highly possible because once lunch was over, Zero had exited the room as fast as he came in, not once sparing a glance toward the anxious pureblood.

Kaname couldn't believe it. This morning he had woken up happy and expectant; he had thought that he and Zero could become closer friends after last night, pushing their heritage and natures aside. But alas, it was too good to be true. Kaname was ashamed that he even thought of the hunter in that way, when he knew that Zero might only see him as a dangerous vampire who was out to kill everyone. He shouldn't have allowed himself to have that feeling in the first place. He had set himself up for heartache from the very beginning.

Luckily for Kaname, Dan and the others decided to hold off on the taunting and the "motivational" speeches, and after watching Ryan, Ben, and the rest head off to the public high school, the two roommates headed to class in silence. As they walked through the hall, Kaname caught Dan looking at him every now and then, his usual playful face lined with guilt and worry. Kaname groaned at the thought of having to spend the next five hours in school, with one of those classes sitting right next to Zero when the hunter was clearly uncomfortable with him. He and Dan were right outside the classroom doors when a familiar cheery voice called their names from behind. Kaname turned around, finding Nancy smiling at him, like always.

"Kaname! Daniel! Good, you're not in class yet," she said, walking up to them. "Ms. Ross—one of the caretakers—has caught the flu, and I was planning to get her some flowers but with the couple coming I have no time to go shopping, SO," she took a breath, before saying, "I need you two to run to the supermarket and buy a bouquet of flowers AND to drop this off at the post office." She handed Kaname a mini-sized box. "Great timing, right? I'll excuse you from your stuff today, and you could get your notes from a classmate. Here's some money." She handed Dan some bills and walked off with a "Don't take too long!" shouted over her back before disappearing into the main office.

"Yes!" Dan cheered, shoving the money into Kaname's hands and taking his books from him. "Meet me in the lobby; I'll go get our jackets." He whooped as he ran down the hallway, earning some jealous looks and words from fellow classmates. Kaname was too stunned to pay attention, though. He was still recovering from the fact that he wouldn't have to suffer in class where Zero was so close. He didn't know how Nancy managed to save him this time, but he was glad anyway. He thanked the fates as he walked to the lobby and while he waited for Dan, his relief making him forget about his earlier predicament for just a moment.

Later, with the two dressed and ready, they headed out into the cold afternoon. The snow from the last blizzard was still piled up on the edges of the sidewalk, and it was difficult for them to cross the road to get to the town center. The closest supermarket and post office to St. Joseph's were on the outskirts of the next town, so they had a long walk ahead of them. Kaname could have gotten to both places and back in just a minute, but of course he couldn't do that with Dan there. But he didn't want to anyway—he wanted to stall their time out so he could miss most of the period where Zero sat next to him.

As they trudged through the slushy sidewalk, Dan thought it was best to talk to Kaname now that they were alone. "Hey. You okay?"

Kaname kept looking at the ground before him, but still he replied, "Yes."

Dan scoffed and rubbed his hands together for some warmth. "Really. And that look on your face when Kiryuu blew you off was _not_ heartbeak?"

"He didn't blow me off," Kaname mumbled. "He probably has some things on his mind or… I don't know." Kaname noticed how much he accidentally revealed to Dan every day, but he had to admit that it felt kind of nice to have someone who was trustworthy that he could confide in. But still, it also felt weird to be revealing so much of himself, and especially a subject as touchy as Zero Kiryuu.

"Did something happen last night?" Dan asked, taking a few steps ahead of Kaname so as to lead the way.

Kaname shook his head.

Dan chuckled. "Damn, I feel like a therapist. You know, the last time us guys had a girl problem was in 8th grade, when Ben was crazy enough to ask Jessica out. She rejected him, of course, but the kid was crying for days!" Dan shook his head, but he smiled as he remembered. "This time, it's pretty weird because this is a _guy _problem, so we don't really know how to deal with it—"

"You don't have to deal with it," Kaname snapped. "There's nothing happening." God, how he wanted to smack this guy.

"Uh-huh." Dan winked at him, and Kaname would have turned around and walked back to the orphanage if it wasn't for what happened during lunch. They walked together in silence for a bit, then Dan said, "Kaname. You could trust us, really. We're all brothers here." At this, Kaname stopped walking. He had always been an only child, and even when his parents were still alive, he never really connected with anyone his age. Aside from Takuma, he never had any real friends until he came to St. Joseph's. So why was he being like this? He had friends now; why couldn't he bring himself to trust them? Though he spoke with Dan a lot, he realized that Dan didn't really know much about him, besides his liking to chess and how his parents had died. _Old habits die hard. _

They continued walking, now accustomed to the silence for they had experienced many of them just this morning. Kaname still hadn't replied to Dan, even when they reached the post office and had dropped off the parcel. He was lost between wanting to reach out to him, or anyone, and wanting to keep to himself, so he wouldn't be disappointed in the future. Everyone would leave him at some point, so why try? Zero had already quit on him, right? Thinking this, Kaname choked back a sob. When Dan looked at him he had already arranged his mask back in place, but he was still ashamed. He felt more vulnerable than ever.

When they reached the supermarket, Kaname quietly trailed behind Dan, wanting to go back to his room and just sleep forever. He didn't feel up to doing anything anymore. He watched as Dan perused the flower bouquets, wondering about what flowers women typically liked. Kaname thought that Dan hadn't asked him for help because he was done trying to help Kaname, even in a situation as stupid as having a crush on someone who felt nothing but hatred for you in return. Kaname turned away so Dan wouldn't see his mask falling apart, but as he did, he suddenly sensed something that shouldn't be anywhere close to Breckinridge.

A vampire. And not just any vampire, but one that worked for the Council. Kaname doused his aura immediately, but he knew that the other had seen him already. The noble was already heading out of the supermarket, probably planning on travelling back to Japan and alerting Ichiou of where Kaname was hiding.

But why should he care? He wasn't used to life here, and already people were quitting on him, so wouldn't it be better to just go back? Kaname clenched at his chest. "No," he whispered. _No. You're only having a bad day. Going back to Ichiou is like giving yourself the death sentence. It's not worth it. Not worth it, _he repeated, looking back at Dan and making sure the other wouldn't catch him leaving. Seeing that Dan was still deciding on flowers, Kaname swiftly walked out of the store, keeping the noble vampire's scent in mind. The other had already fled, but Kaname could still feel his presence running away from him, and he quickly zoomed through the many streets of the mall outlet. With his pureblood speed no one could see him, giving him the advantage as he flitted to the rooftop of a nearby building, spotting the suit-clad vampire running into an empty alley. Kaname leapt between a few buildings and looked over the noble, watching as he made his way through the snow and toward a door to another building. Before he could make it, Kaname was already in front of him, his hand making a death grip on the noble's neck.

"K-Kuran… Kaname…" the vampire rasped, holding back a yell as Kaname slammed him into a brick wall.

Kaname didn't have much time. Dan was bound to notice his absence in a minute, and he had no time to question this vampire, for he was certain that he was one of Ichiou's lapdogs sent to find him. Kaname pressed his right palm to the noble's forehead, forcing his mind into the other's memories and erasing all of the ones that included Kaname. He replaced them with the false memories of landing in Breckinridge, not finding the pureblood, and heading back to Japan, and with that he disappeared to the building's rooftop again. He watched as the noble vampire gathered his senses, looking around in confusion and then walking out of the alley and onto the crowded sidewalk. Kaname sighed in relief before speeding back to the store and making sure no one had caught his sudden reappearance. He then walked into the store, finding Dan standing before the check-out aisles, holding a bouquet of hydrangeas while looking around for his roommate.

When Dan saw Kaname walking towards him, he frowned and said, "Where were you? I was looking everywhere!"

Kaname shifted his expression to one of innocence. "I was just looking at the ice cream aisle."

Dan glared at him as they went to the cash register, quietly muttering, "Trying to give me a heart attack…" as they paid for their items. Finally, they left the store and had finished running their errands, now intent on heading back home.

Kaname was relieved that he had managed to stop the Council member in time before he could alert Ichiou, but he was still a little shaken after his mini excursion. He should've known that Ichiou would send people after him so soon after his escape, so why was he so surprised? Though Kaname had only been here for a week, it seemed like he'd spent years here. He was starting to get used to having this kind of life, so it was weird when he caught a glimpse of the life he once led. But even so, he was proud that he had decided to stop the vampire. He was a little embarrassed for thinking how he did earlier; it was just one bad day! He could deal with it, right?

Kaname turned to Dan, who was whistling and swinging the paper bag which held the flowers. He wanted to make up with him, but he didn't know how he should apologize, so he opted out with, "You're going to damage the hydrangeas if you keep that up."

Dan jerked in surprise, staring at Kaname for a bit before grinning and pushing the bag into the other's hands. "You hold it, then."

Kaname smiled back. _Yes, _he thought. _Life here is so much worth it._

…

Later that night during dinner, Dan was bragging about their missing school to the other boys, whereas Kaname was discreetly staring at Zero's back. The hunter had chosen the same table he had during lunch, and earlier in their last period, Zero had not turned around to look at Kaname like he sometimes did. Kaname had been a little cheered up after his run-in with the Council member, but he was still unsure of what Zero was feeling towards him today. He wanted to talk to Zero for a little bit, but he was afraid of seeming too pushy. And plus, what if Zero hated him?

Kaname tried not to look so down to Dan and the others so as to avoid his little tryst earlier. He shifted his attention from the hunter to Ben's story of the hot substitute teacher at the public high school. Kaname was surprised when he actually _laughed_ while listening.

On the way to their room, Nancy stopped Kaname and Dan to thank them for helping her earlier, for she didn't get a chance to do so when they rushed back. As she did, she handed them their homework for the day, making Kaname sigh and Dan whine loudly as they walked up the staircase and into their rooms. But still, Kaname didn't mind.

Kaname finished his homework at about nine o'clock. Afterwards, he took a shower and got into his sleeping wear and climbed into bed, feeling exhausted after everything that had happened today. He was so elated that the next day was Saturday, so he could sleep in for however long he wanted. But just as he was about to close his eyes, someone knocked on the door. Kaname stifled a groan and watched as Dan stood up from his desk to open it, revealing the silver-haired boy who had caused most of Kaname's distress today.

"Kiryuu! Hey…" Dan stepped aside and let the hunter in, smirking at Kaname from behind.

Zero nodded at him before looking at Kaname, who was sitting up in bed. "I need to talk to Ku—Kaname for a bit."

Kaname resisted gasping. _So he's not avoiding me… right? _Kaname nodded and pushed the covers aside before getting up. "What do you need?"

Zero's violet eyes flickered to Dan for a second before coming back to Kaname's garnet ones. "It's private," he said in Japanese. "Come with me." He turned to walk out, ignoring Dan's confused look as he did.

Kaname refused to let himself look nervous, even though he was. He still had to remember that though he liked Zero, the other was still a hunter who was fully capable of killing the pureblood if he chose to do so. He followed Zero out of the bedroom and into the hallway, telling Dan, "I'll be back," before closing the door. In the hallway, he and Zero shared a look for about five seconds until Zero motioned for the pureblood to follow him.

"Where are we going?" Kaname asked, his voice masking all that he felt.

"My room," Zero answered, looking at Kaname in such a way that made the brunette blush.

Zero's room was the farthest one away from the staircase at the end of the hallway. When they both entered, Kaname looked at the blank walls with little surprise—Zero didn't seem like the type of guy to decorate his room with posters and such. He noticed that this room had only one bed, which meant that Zero didn't have a roommate. What would have happened had he and Nancy come across Zero's room before Dan's? Would the two of them become roommates, or…? Kaname blushed at the thought.

Zero gestured for Kaname to sit on the edge of the one bed as he sat in a chair beside his desk. Kaname did so, and when Zero wasn't looking he felt the soft covers under him. _Zero sleeps here, _he thought, his face flushing unintentionally.

Finally, Zero spoke. "We received some news at the Association this morning." He watched Kaname's reaction shift from wonder to anxiety before going on with, "The lead Association in Japan just notified all HA branches with the news of… of your escape."

Kaname tensed. It all made sense. That was why he had spotted the Council member today.

Zero noticed this and looked down at the floor. "My orders are that if I ever saw you, I am to capture you and send you to the HA branch." Zero winced as he felt his Hunter instincts kick in, screaming at him to use a Hunter spell to immobilize the pureblood before he tried anything. _No… I can't… _He cleared his throat and continued. "We're also under the impression that you have gone mad."

Kaname's eyes widened in fear and rage. _Mad? That bastard! _Of course Ichiou would come up with such a lie. He clenched his fists and fumed silently, thoughts racing across his mind like a tornado. When Zero didn't say anything more, Kaname finally finished his proposal. "So you're going to turn me in."

Zero's head shot up, his violet eyes lit up with denial. "No! I mean—I don't know…" he blushed at his exclamation, but it was how he felt.

Kaname was surprised at the emotion he saw in the hunter's expression. _He's… not turning me in? _Of course, if the hunter was going to pull anything on him, Kaname would be prepared to flee instantly. But seeing a hunter _not _wanting to kill a vampire was something you didn't see every day…

Zero shook his head. "No," he said again. "I have a heart, Kaname, even if I'm a Hunter. You told me that it was torture living with Ichiou, and that you couldn't do anything but run away. And last night you said you were happy here," he smiled, just a little. "I don't want to be the one who ruined that for you." He looked at Kaname, the concern and honesty in his eyes conveying all that he felt.

Kaname gasped a bit. He couldn't believe that Zero felt that way towards him, or even that he remembered what Kaname had told him that first day they sat together. But he was afraid of being set up for sadness and disappointment. For all he knew, Zero could be lying. He looked at the floor sadly, and whispered, "I'm not sure I can trust you."

Zero's heart jumped at those words. He knew that Kaname had lived a life where it was difficult to trust anyone, especially Hunters. He shouldn't be offended by that. "Still," he pushed on. "You don't have to trust me. But I won't turn you in. I promise."

Kaname looked up in surprise. "But why?"

Zero laughed lightly. "I told you, I want you to be happy here. It seems like you've been through a lot, and…" he shrugged.

Kaname smiled at Zero's awkwardness. The hunter seemed sincere enough, but he wouldn't let his guard down. "Arigatou," he said anyway.

Zero nodded, blushing. They were quiet for a bit, until Kaname said, "I have something to say as well."

"What is it?"

Kaname sighed, and told him the story of what happened when he and Dan went out on errands. Zero frowned at this, realizing how close the Council had come to catching Kaname. The Hunter's Association wasn't the only group looking out for the pureblood. "Are you okay?" he asked the other.

Kaname nodded. "Somewhat." He looked away for a moment. "You… you haven't told them about me, have you?"

"No," Zero answered. "I don't want anything happening to the orphanage."

Kaname was a little put down that Zero cared for the orphanage more than him, but he had to admit that he felt the same way. "Thank you," he said again. "Zero." It felt so wonderful to be finally saying it out loud, to the one person he really needed to talk to.

Zero blushed again. "I'll do my best to keep you and the orphanage safe."

That was a promise. And he fully intended to carry it out, no matter what happened to him.


End file.
